Atlanta United selects Jon Gallagher, Oliver Shannon, Gordon Wild in MLS SuperDraft

Atlanta United Communications

Atlanta United today selected forward Jon Gallagher in the first round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft and midfielder Oliver Shannon and forward Gordon Wild in the second round. Gallagher, from the University of Notre Dame, was selected with the No. 14 overall pick, while Shannon and Wild were selected with back-to-back picks (36 and 37) in the second round out of Clemson University and the University of Maryland. Rounds three and four of the MLS SuperDraft will be held Sunday, Jan. 21, via conference call.

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Gallagher made a combined 84 appearances and 63 starts for Notre Dame over four years and was a three-year starter. The forward scored 39 goals and added 15 assists during his college career and was an All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer in each of his four seasons at Notre Dame. A Dundalk, Ireland native, Gallagher was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2016 after recording 14 goals and seven assists in 21 games. As a senior, he tallied 13 goals and added two assists in 20 games and was named First Team All-ACC for both the regular season and the ACC Tournament, as well as being named a USC Second Team All-American. Gallagher represented England Schoolboys at the U18 level and has also had trials with European clubs Juventus, Olympique Marseille, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.

Shannon was a four-year starter at Clemson where he started 74 of his 82 appearances. The English midfielder contributed a total of 13 goals and 17 assists during his college career and helped Clemson reach the final of the 2015 College Cup. He was a Third Team All-ACC selection as a sophomore, Second Team All-ACC selection as a junior and First Team All-ACC selection as a senior in 2017. The Liverpool, England native spent 13 years at the Everton Youth Academy and was a member of the side that won the 2013-14 Youth Premier League.

Wild, a Generation Adidas selection, started 55 out of 56 games of his three-year college career. The German forward started 15 games and scored 16 goals for University of South Carolina Upstate in 2015 where he was named the Atlantic Sun Conference Rookie of the Year and a First Team All-Atlantic Sun selection. He then transferred to Maryland and scored 17 goals in 21 games as a sophomore. After a standout season, he was a 2016 USC First Team All-American, Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Valuable offensive player. Wild was named to the 2017 Preseason MAC Hermann watch list and scored five goals with two assists as a senior. A Leonberg, Germany native, Wild was part of the Mainz Youth Academy.