Orlando City signs 17-year-old Turner

• by Soccer America , Feb 27, 2014

[MLS 2015] Orlando City has signed 17-year-old defender Tyler Turner to a multi-year deal as its younger player for the 2014 USL PRO season and 2015 MLS launch. Turner is a member of the U.S. under-18 national team and attends IMG Academy.

“We liked what we saw from him, not only when he was with the national team, but also throughout the preseason with us,” said Orlando coach Adrian Heath. “One of the things that we noticed straight away was how comfortable he is on the ball. For our defenders, that’s almost a required trait so we’re delighted to have him with us.”

Turner was brought into the Orlando City camp at the beginning of the 2014 preseason from nearby Bradenton. He played in friendlies against the Chicago Fire and Montreal Impact.

Turner first moved to Florida from Connecticut to attend the U.S. U-17 Residency Program in Bradenton.

“Considering the circumstances, I thought Tyler did very well against the MLS clubs,” added Heath. “He can certainly make a living out of football, as long as he continues to do the right things and dedicate himself to the game.”