Sporting KC Signs Academy Product Jake Davis
Published on August 19, 2021 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Sporting Kansas City News Release
Sporting Kansas City has signed 19-year-old midfielder Jake Davis as a Homegrown Player, the club announced today.
Davis, who has signed an MLS contract through 2023 with an option for 2024, is the 19th Homegrown Player to emerge from the Sporting Kansas City Academy and the 12th Academy product on the club's current roster, which now stands at 29 players.
"Jake is a hardworking competitor who is versatile," said Peter Vermes, Sporting Kansas City Manager and Sporting Director. "He has a good understanding of the club culture at Sporting KC and we look forward to his continued development."
A skillful midfielder who can also play at right back, Davis has started 28 of 37 appearances for Sporting Kansas City II over the last three USL Championship seasons, adding seven assists in over 2,500 minutes played under head coach Paulo Nagamura. The 2021 campaign has seen Davis tally a team-high four assists in 17 matches, including the game-winner in a 3-2 victory at Memphis 901 FC on June 26. He also leads the club with 20 chances created and 47 tackles, 22 more than any other player.
Davis gained his first professional experience in 2019, inking an academy contract with Sporting KC II and starting two of five appearances in his first USL Championship season. He marked his debut campaign with an assist in his first professional match against Bethlehem Steel FC on April 6 and added a second assist in a road game versus Atlanta United 2 on Aug. 16.
In 2020, Davis took another step forward by signing a fully professional USL Championship contract with Sporting KC II. He started in 14 of the team's 16 matches during the shortened season, finishing second on the team in minutes, while leading the side in tackles and tackles won. He also notched the game-winning assist in a memorable 2-1 away win at league heavyweights Louisville City FC on July 29.
A native of Rochester, Michigan, Davis moved to Kansas City in 2017 at age 15 to join the Sporting KC Academy. He represented Sporting at the U-17 and U-19 levels, amassing eight goals across 54 appearances in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.
While in the Academy, Davis lived with a host family through a program currently supported by the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative.
Davis earned international recognition for the first time in November 2019 when he was selected to the United States U-17 national team roster for the 19th annual Nike International Friendlies at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
Occupying second place in the Western Conference, Sporting (11-4-5, 38 points) will continue their 2021 MLS campaign on Saturday with a Rivalry Week showdown against Minnesota United FC (7-6-6, 27 points). Kickoff at Allianz Field is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with national coverage on ESPN, the ESPN app and ESPN Deportes as well as local radio calls on Sports Radio 810 WHB and La Grande 1340 AM.
Transaction: Sporting Kansas City (MLS) signs midfielder Jake Davis as a Homegrown Player.
VITALS
Jake Davis
Position: Midfielder
Number: 46
Born: 1/3/2002 (19 years old)
Height: 5-10
Weight: 150 lbs.
Hometown: Rochester, Michigan
Birthplace: Rochester, Michigan
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @jdavis_3211
Instagram: @jakedavis1
Sporting KC Homegrown Players from SKC Academy
(Age upon signing in parenthesis)
2010 - Goalkeeper Jon Kempin (17)
2011 - Defender Kevin Ellis (19)
2013 - Defender Erik Palmer-Brown (16)
2016 - Forward Daniel Salloi (19) *
2017 - Midfielder Gianluca Busio (15)
2017 - Defender Jaylin Lindsey (17) *
2018 - Defender Matt Lewis (21)
2018 - Forward Zach Wright (22)
2018 - Midfielder Wan Kuzain Wan Kamal (19)
2018 - Forward Tyler Freeman (15) *
2019 - Midfielder Cam Duke (18) *
2019 - Midfielder Felipe Hernandez (21) *
2020 - Forward Wilson Harris (20) *
2021 - Midfielder Grayson Barber (20) *
2021 - Forward Ozzie Cisneros (16) *
2021 - Goalkeeper Brooks Thompson (18) *
2021 - Defender Kaveh Rad (19) *
2021 - Defender Kayden Pierre (18) *
2021 - Midfielder Jake Davis (19) *
* Currently under contract with Sporting
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