Tacoma Defiance’s 15-year-old sensation to sign first-team contract with Seattle Sounders
Multiple sources are reporting that the Seattle Sounders are signing 15-year-old Danny Leyva to a first team contract. This signing would make Leyva the youngest player ever to sign a first-team contract in the team’s history.
The news was first reported by Paul Tenorio of The Athletic. The blog Sounder at Heart is reporting that the Leyva deal is guaranteed through the 2022 season with an additional option.
Before the season opener for the Tacoma Defiance, Leyva talked with the News Tribune about his journey to pro soccer at such a young age.
This won’t be his first time with the Sounders. During preseason he saw 23 minutes of action in a match vs. Club Nacional. Leyva has quickly risen up the ranks of the Sounders organization ever since he left his native Las Vegas to join the Sounders Academy as a 13-year-old.
Leyva will also be suiting up for the United States along with Defiance teammate Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez on the under-17 U.S. National Team and head to camp in preparation for a U-17 World Cup Qualifying match vs. Canada on May 2.
While he couldn’t comment directly about the signing, Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer talked about Leyva’s play and contributions to the team during preseason after practice on Friday.
This story was originally published April 5, 2019 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Tacoma Defiance’s 15-year-old sensation to sign first-team contract with Seattle Sounders."