Austin FC announced today the signings of defender Aedan Stanley, the Club’s third draft pick (21st overall) in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas, and former U-19 Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper William Pulisic. Per League and Club policy, terms of the agreements were not disclosed. Stanley is the third player signed by Austin FC from the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, following midfielder Daniel Pereira, Austin FC’s first pick (first overall), and defender Freddy Kleemann, Austin’s second pick (11th overall).
“We are excited to officially welcome Aedan and William to Austin FC,” commented Claudio Reyna, Austin FC Sporting Director. “They have both been training hard to earn a position in our roster, and we look forward to their further development as they add youthful depth to our squad.”
“I would like to thank Claudio, Josh and the rest of the coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to play for Austin FC,” commented Stanley. “I am honored to be Verde and represent this great city and the people who call it home.”
“I am very excited to be a part of Austin FC in our inaugural season. It’s a dream come true to be able to play for a club with high ambitions and huge support from the entire city,” commented Pulisic. “I’m ready to give everything I have to my team, my club, and the city of Austin.”
Stanley (pronounced Stan-lee) joins Austin from the Portland Timbers II (2020) where he started all 16 games of
the 2020 USL season and recorded three (3) assists. Stanley signed with Sporting Kansas City II after Portland Timbers II announced they would forgo the 2021 USL Championship season.
A Duke University product, Stanley spent two (2) seasons with the Blue Devils (2018-19) making 20 appearances (20 starts) and contributing three (3) assists in 2018, while playing and starting 17 matches in 2019. The Columbia, Illinois, native forwent the remainder of his collegiate career and signed with Portland Timbers II of the USL Championship ahead of the 2020 season. Throughout his professional career, Stanley has recorded a total of 34 USL Championship appearances (2016-20) and two (2) Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2018) appearances.
Stanley made 13 appearances (12 starts) for the Saint Louis FC Academy (2015-2016) prior to his call-up to the first team at the age of 16. At Saint Louis FC (2016-18), Stanley appeared in 11 matches, making ten (10) starts. Internationally, Stanley has represented the U.S. at the youth level in a number of training camps and tournaments with the U.S. U-18 and U-20 Men’s National Team.
Pulisic (pronounced POOL-uh-sitch) made eight (8) appearances and recorded four (4) shutouts for Borussia Dortmund’s U-19 team (2016-17), ending the season as U-19 Bundesliga Champion. Pulisic also logged three (3) appearances and 450 minutes of play in the 2016-17 UEFA Youth League.
Another Duke University product, Pulisic played for four (4) seasons with the Blue Devils (2017-20) making 66 appearances, starting 65 games and logging 19 shutouts. Pulisic finished his collegiate career at Duke earning All-ACC selection honors twice. Pulisic was a teammate of Stanley during the 2018-2019 season.
Internationally, Pulisic has been called up for 28 caps with the U.S. Youth National Team and has made 24 appearances with the U-17 team and four (4) appearances for the U-19 team. Pulisic was the starting goalkeeper for the United States in the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile.
Following the additions of Stanley and Pulisic on April 16, 2021, Austin FC’s roster consists of:
Goalkeepers
William Pulisic (USA)
Brady Scott (USA)
Brad Stuver (USA)
Andrew Tarbell (USA)
Defenders
Matt Besler (USA)
Julio Cascante (Costa Rica)
Hector Jimenez (USA)
Žan Kolmanič (Slovenia)
Freddy Kleemann (USA)
Nick Lima (USA)
Jhohan Romaña (Colombia)
Aedan Stanley (USA)
Ben Sweat (USA)
Midfielders
Sebastian Berhalter (USA)
Diego Fagundez (USA)
Daniel Pereira (Venezuela)
Alex Ring (Finland)
Ulises Segura (Costa Rica)
Jared Stroud (USA)
Forwards
Cecilio Domínguez (Paraguay)
Jon Gallagher (Ireland)
Danny Hoesen (Netherlands)
Kekuta Manneh (The Gambia)
Rodney Redes (Paraguay)
Aaron Schoenfeld (USA)
Transaction: Austin FC sign defender Aedan Stanley and goalkeeper William Pulisic on April 16, 2021.
Player Details
Name: Aedan Stanley
Position: Defender
Height: 5’11’’
Born: December 13, 1999
Age: 21
Birthplace: Columbia, Illinois
Nationality: United States
Player Details
Name: William Pulisic
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 5’11’’
Born: April 16, 1998
Age: 23
Birthplace: Mechanicsville, Virginia
Nationality: United States