Aaron Heard: Who is Bayer Leverkusen's USA U17 attacking midfielder?
Aaron Heard joins Bayer Leverkusen as a real prospect for the future, the 18-year-old arriving in Germany with a lot of hype after shining for Philly Union Academy and then St. Louis City SC. bundesliga.com has the lowdown on the promising USA U17 international...
Stats correct as of 9 January 2025
Aaron Heard
Age: 18
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Attacking midfield
Country: USA (three U17 caps)
Key stats
Heard began his promising youth career with Maryland club Bethesda-Olney SC before making the short move to the Philly Union Academy, where he became the club's top prospect, aged just 12. He notably earned the Golden Ball award for Best Player in the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League as he led Union to the U13 title.
His next stop was with St. Louis City, where he spent three seasons sharing his time between the academy and the reserves team. Heard's performances for the Missouri club caught the eye of then USA U17 coach Gonzalo Segares (now assistant coach with the USMNT) and the silky-skilled left winger made his USA U17 debut in September 2022, aged just 15 years, eight months and 24 days.
Heard's performances for club and country didn't go unnoticed on the other side of the pond and, even though Heard spent much of 2024 rehabbing a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in December 2023, Leverkusen paid close attention and secured an understanding for a deal to be completed upon Heard's 18th birthday on 28 December 2024.
That deal is now done and the youngster had been a part of the reigning Bundesliga champions' U19 squad since the start of the 2024/25 winter break.
Plays a bit like: Gelson Martins
Like the Portugal international, Heard is a mercurial winger who uses his pace to get opponents on the back foot before opting to either bring his teammates into play or - as is more often the case - look to dribble, even if it's a two-on-one situation.
Although his success rate when taking on defenders varies, it's a fair bet that, as he reaches his full physical potential, he will develop the acceleration and power to match his dazzling feet and attack-focused intentions. He also boasts a strong footballing IQ, a savvy passing game and a knack for scoring screamers from distance.
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On top of being a USA U17 international, Heard is also eligible to represent Ghana - he holds dual citizenship - and could still opt to turn out for the Black Stars as his career continues to develop.
What they're saying
"He's confident on the ball and strong on the dribble. We are looking forward to having him with us." - Leverkusen U19 assistant coach Adrian Grümer
"Aaron Heard is the total attacking midfielder package and will be the focal point in the attack for the 2006 age group for the upcoming years. Expect Aaron to be moved up to the Philadelphia Union U17’s next season as the U15 level will be too easy for him." - chasingacup.com's David Kerr on 8 May, 2020
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