SANDY, Utah (Saturday, February 18, 2017) – On Saturday, Real Salt Lake announced that the club has signed DF Justen Glad and FW Jordan Allen to new multi-year contracts, keeping the Real Salt Lake Academy products and co-winners of the 2016 Jordan Guernsey Humanitarian of the Year Award for Real Salt Lake with the club for years to come.
“We are extremely proud of the players that Martin Vasquez has been able to develop at our Academy since it opened its doors in 2010. The Academy has been a priority for Real Salt Lake and the benefit of that comes in producing top-level talent that can represent the club for years,” Real Salt Lake General Manager Craig Waibel said. “As an organization, we could not be more pleased with the way Justen and Jordan have represented the club at the professional and international levels while also showing to be vital parts of the Salt Lake City community. Who they have become as men is as admirable as anything they’ve done on the field and it is appropriate to reward those efforts.”
Allen, 21, came to Real Salt Lake as a Homegrown signing in December of 2013 and broke into the regular rotation in 2015 after an injury-filled year in 2014. In each of the last two seasons, he has started in 11 of his 23 appearances, netting one goal and two assists in 2015 and three goals and two assists in 2016. He has twice been named to the Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game during MLS All-Star Week and has been one of the great success stories of the Real Salt Lake Academy system.
A regular with U.S. Youth National Teams, Allen was a key member of the U.S. U-20 National Team that made a run to the quarterfinals in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
“I’m excited to know that I will be with Real Salt Lake for a long time. This is where I want to be and it’s great that the club has this amount of faith and confidence in me,” Allen said. “Now this puts the onus on me to repay that confidence on the field moving forward.”
Glad, 20, signed as a Homegrown Player in April of 2014 and enjoyed a breakout season in 2016. He kick-started his pro career with seven appearances each with RSL and Real Monarchs in 2015 before things took off for him last season. In his third pro season, Glad started in 27 of his 28 appearances on an otherwise-veteran back line. He finished the season with two goals and one assist and was voted by his teammates as Real Salt Lake’s Defensive Player of the Year.
He was also named twice to the Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game and is currently representing the U.S. at the CONCACAF U-20 Championships in Costa Rica, kicking off Saturday against Panama in the first of three Group Stage matches.
“I’m super happy to be continuing my career with the team that game me my first shot and has put their faith in me from day one. It’s exciting to continue working with a phenomenal organization, city and fanbase,” Glad said. “This is really where I want to be and I think it’s an exciting tie within Real Salt Lake and MLS as a whole. I can’t wait to see what 2017 holds for me and the club.”
The duo represent some of the greatest success stories to come out of Real Salt Lake’s decorated Academy team. Currently based in Casa Grande, Arizona, the RSL Academy has produced numerous professional players and currently has eight players on the Real Salt Lake roster. Starting in the Fall of 2017, the Academy will move its base to Herriman, Utah, where Owner Dell Loy Hansen is constructing a new, state-of-the-art facility that will house Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs and the RSL Academy teams.
Photo credit: Bryan Byerly
TRANSACTION: Real Salt Lake (MLS) signs FW Jordan Allen and DF Justen Glad to new contracts.
