Atlanta signs Campbell to Homegrown deal

by Travis Clark

July 9, 2019

Another top talent from the class of 2019 is making the jump to professional soccer.

Center back George Campbell signed a Homegrown contract with Atlanta United, the club announced on Tuesday. Ranked No. 52 in the 2019 Boys IMG Academy Top 150, Campbell had previously been committed to play at Maryland starting this fall.

“George has shown remarkable progress at each step in his development and he’s earned a professional contract with our club,” Atlanta United Vice President and Technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said in a press release. “As a member of our inaugural Academy teams in 2016, he’s worked hard to utilize the club’s pathway to the professional level, highlighted by his form in USL this season – most of which came before his 18th birthday. He’s just starting to scratch the surface of what he can be in the future, and that’s a testament to his commitment to improve, as well as the program that we have in place through Tony Annan and Stephen Glass.”

An absolute ROCK in the back 👊@GeorgeC1927 is just getting started pic.twitter.com/diZaTAAYGo
— Atlanta United FC (@ATLUTD) July 9, 2019

Campbell played just four times for Atlanta's Under-18/19 team during the 2018-19 club season, as he emerged as an option for Atlanta United 2 during the current USL Championship season. He made his professional debut as an amateur signing back on March 9, and has played 11 games, making 10 starts for ATL UTD 2.

A longtime member of the Atlanta United Academy, he made 58 appearances for the club's academy teams spanning the two years from 2016-18, scoring five goals during that stretch. Last year, he helped Atlanta to the U16/17 Dev. Academy national title game. Per the release, he will be eligible for Atlanta United as of January 1, 2020.

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