Sacramento Republic FC’s Da’vian Kimbrough becomes youngest professional soccer player in the U.S.A but who is he?
It’s likely that in the near future, soccer in the U.S.A. takes center stage in the world, with news that a young prodigy has entered the professional game.
Regardless of what sport we’re talking about, we’ve all seen many young talents be promoted as the next best thing. On the other hand, it’s not often that we witness a player who is not only talented but still worthy of being called a child even though they can hold their own with adults.
Da’vian Kimbrough signs professional contract at 13
According to reports on Tuesday, Da’vian Kimbrough became the youngest professional soccer player in the United States, after he put pen to paper on a professional contract with the USL’s Sacramento Republic FC. Kimbrough is 13 years, 5 months, and 13 days and incidentally is now the youngest professional athlete among all North American professional sports which includes the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and WNBA. If you’re curious, the title of ‘youngest pro athlete’, was previously held by Maximo Carrizo of New York City FC, who signed a contract with the club at the age of 14 just last year.
So, how has Da’Vian Kimbrough performed up to this point?
Listed as a forward, Kimbrough joined Republic FC’s youth academy in 2021 at the tender age of 11 - to be fair 13 isn’t much different. Needless to say, it didn’t take long before his talent was plain to see as is evidenced by the fact that over the last two campaigns, he’s scored a combined total of 61 goals in 81 matches between the U-13 and U-14 teams of the academy. As he prepares to enter his third season, Kimbrough will now be eligible for a spot on the club’s first-team roster, something that club president and general manager, Todd Dunivant, is relishing as he explained that Kimbrough’s path is “just beginning.”
“He is a remarkable talent who has committed to his dream of becoming an elite player, from competing with players in older age groups, thriving at top competitions, to stepping onto the first team training grounds,” Dunivant said. “We are honored that the Kimbrough family and Da’vian have chosen Republic FC to support his professional pathway, and we look forward to taking the next steps together.” As for what those ‘top competitions’ were, Kimbrough recently stole headlines in the Bassevelde U-13 Cup, a respected youth tournament held annually in Belgium, which sees the participation of clubs such as Juventus, West Ham, and Benfica to name a few. As an invitational player for MLS’s Red Bulls, Kimbrough was central in helping the team become the first MLS side ever to win the tournament, and he also got his hands on the MVP award for the tournament as well. Interestingly, Kimbrough could make his professional debut as soon as this weekend against Birmingham Legion FC.