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Jeremy Rafanello signs contract extension with Philadelphia Union

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Photo by Carl Gulbish

Delran, N.J. native Jeremy Rafanello is sticking with his hometown club for the foreseeable future after signing a contract extension that will keep him with the team through 2026 with options for 2027 and 2028.

“In his two seasons with the Union, Jeremy has remained dedicated to his growth and development as a player,” said Philadelphia Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner in a news release announcing the new deal earlier this week. “He has stepped up in pivotal matches and remains ready when called upon. His increased minutes on field this season are a testament to his work ethic, and we are happy to be able to reward him with a new contract.”

Though Rafanello’s minutes have been hard to come by, head coach Jim Curtin has repeatedly praised the 24-year-old and has noted more than once this season that he’d deserving of more minutes than he’s gotten.

“Rafa is a guy who has had a lot of decisions go against him in terms of minutes through throughout the year, but still has trained so hard every day,” Curtin said in a press conference just last month.

Rafanello has made 13 appearances this season, 4 starts, and logged 317 minutes in all competitions. He’s registered one assist but still has not scored a first team goal.

A 2018 YSC Academy graduate, Rafanello played high school soccer at Delran for a season and at FC Delco before moving to the Union Academy. After graduating high school he went on to play a season at Penn State before starting his professional career in Denmark with Helsingør. He returned to the U.S. to play for Indy Eleven in 2020 and was with Red Bulls II when the Union signed him to a homegrown deal (having retained his MLS rights) in August 2022.

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

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