The Philadelphia Union signed 18-year-old goalkeeper Andrew Rick to a guaranteed contract through 2028 with an option for 2029, the team announced Saturday.
Rick, a member of the Union Academy since 2016, is the 23rd homegrown player in club history. From Berwyn, Pa., Rick signed his fourth short-term agreement with the Union on Tuesday before Philadelphia’s match against the Seattle Sounders.
Rick also was added to the roster for matches against Sporting Kansas City, the Portland Timbers and Nashville SC. Under MLS rules, a club can sign a player aged 25 or younger to up to four short-term agreements (four-day contracts for a maximum of 16 days) each season from its affiliate in MLS NEXT Pro.
“Andrew has made notable strides in his growth and development during his time playing with the Academy and Union II,” Union sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement. “He’s shown his ability to step up in big moments and keep his composure. As we add depth to our goalkeeping unit, he’ll have the opportunity to continue working with and learning from the top talents in our league and we feel confident he’ll be ready when called upon.”
This season for Union II in MLS NEXT Pro, Rick made six starts and had 17 saves and a 1.17 goals-against average. He had 82 saves in 26 appearances since making his MLS NEXT Pro debut in September of 2022.
–Field Level Media
