The Philadelphia Union’s top academy prospect, Aaron Heard, has left the academy. The Brotherly Game reported the news on Sunday after the Union Academy resumed training last week. 

Academy Director Tommy Wilson told Matt Ralph of The Brotherly Game that Heard left the academy for “family reasons.”

Heard, born in 2006, was the Golden Ball (Best Player) winner at the Concacaf U13 Champions League last summer. He helped lead the Union to the championship at the youth event. He is originally from Bethesda, Maryland and had enjoyed a few standouts seasons in the Development Academy. Heard scored four goals in 12 games while playing up with the Union U15 team last season. 

Union has done an excellent job of integrating academy graduates into the first team with Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie emerging as regulars this season and attracting interest from foreign clubs. 

Union has also brought up many academy players to the USL team this season, as they search for the next Homegrown from the group to promote to the first team. 

The loss of Heard is a blow to the Academy, but Union still have a number of other quality prospects in the youth teams. 

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