Trenton native makes debut with Manchester United U18s

Trenton native and former New York Red Bulls Academy defender Matthew Olosunde started and played 90 minutes for the Manchester United U18 team in a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion Friday night.

Olosunde signed with the English club back in January but it was only made official on Friday because of international paperwork that needed to clear. The 18-year-old was announced as part of Duke University's incoming recruiting class in February, but it appears as though that was just a plan B for the talented U.S. youth international.

Born in the New Jersey capital, Olosunde was a member of the inner-city Mooch Myernick Academy and has also spent time with the New York Red Bulls Academy and the U.S. Residency Program at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Duke head coach John Kerr said this about Olosunde was he was announced as part of the 2016 recruiting class back in February:

Our friends over at Once A Metro called Olosunde one of the "top fullback prospects in the US" in a scouting report back in December.

Matthew Ralph

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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