Canadian Jordan Murrell has been training with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for much of preseason, and today the club announced that they have signed the London, England-born defender to a contract for the 2016 season.
Murrell captained his Toronto F.C. Academy side and represented Canada at Under-18 level prior to playing collegiately at Syracuse.
Murrell made 74 appearances on the Orange back line during his four years in Central New York before being selected by Real Salt Lake during the third round of Major League Soccer’s 2015 SuperDraft.
He signed his first professional contract with RSL’s Real Monarchs development side in March 2015. Murrell made 17 United Soccer League appearances for the Monarchs last season.
Hounds head coach Mark Steffens has started Murrell on the left side of defense in each of the team’s four preseason games.
In preseason action Murrell has shown an impressive left foot — and can be a player counted on in Steffens’ system making overlapping runs and could be a threat sending balls into the box.
The following players are now officially signed and registered with the team for the 2016 season:
- GK (3): Brenden Alfery, Hunter Gilstrap, Mauricio Vargas
- DEF (5): Willie Hunt, Jordan Murrell, Caleb Postlewait, Isaiah Schafer, Karsten Smith
- MID (9): James Bissue, Mike Green,Alex Harlley, Marshall Hollingsworth*, Kevin Kerr, Nick Kolarac, Lebo Moloto, Stephen Okai, Ben Swanson*
- FWD (5): Zak Boggs, Ryan Dodson, Corey Hertzog, Romeo Parkes, Drew Russell
*On loan from Columbus Crew SC
Additional players that have been training and participating in preseason matches with the Hounds but have not officially been announced as signed include 17-year old Canadian DuWayne Ewart and University of Charleston (WV) and Liverpool, England native Conor Branson.