U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team player James Sands has signed a Homegrown deal with New York City FC, the club announced on Wednesday.

Sands, the No. 1 ranked player in the 2019 Boys IMG Academy Top 150, becomes the first Homegrown signing in NYCFC's short history. The midfiedler/defender is expected to start in central defense for the U.S. U17 MNT at the World Cup later this year in India.

“It’s an exciting day for James, for the football club and for the Academy to have our first Homegrown Player sign – it’s a special moment and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to be the first," Sporting Director Claudio Reyna said in a press release.

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Sands first joined New York Soccer Club at the age of 10, and was integrated into NYCFC's inaugural academy team in the fall of 2015. He spent part of the 2017 preseason playing in the midfield for New York City FC, impressing in a handful of appearances in exhibition matches.

“I’m really excited – this is a big dream come true for me from ever since I was little kid playing in my back yard to now. Especially when you look at how in just a few short years NYCFC has grown - to be the first Homegrown Player is really special for me," Sands said in a statement. “It’s a huge accomplishment but I think it’s also a credit to the players and coaches I’ve worked with, from NYCFC’s Academy to the youth national team. Without them pushing me every day, I wouldn’t be in this position."

With the U17 World Cup on the docket in October, Sands' chances of an MLS debut are limited, as he prepares to compete for the U17s under head coach John Hackworth.

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