Louisville City FC has signed Elijah Wynder to a new multi-year contract amid a hot start to the midfielder’s 2024 campaign, it was announced Thursday.
The deal, which is pending league and federation approval, rewards a 21-year-old youth academy product who started in six of LouCity’s first seven USL Championship games and has already scored a pair of goals this season.
“We are really proud to be able to extend Elijah here at Louisville City,” said coach Danny Cruz. “He is an academy graduate who we have continued to watch develop every day, and we are excited for what the future holds for him. I know that Elijah will continue to focus on improving and do everything he can to help us get back to winning a USL Championship title.”
Wynder’s role at LouCity continues to expand as he furthers from a devastating leg injury that forced him to miss the 2021 season, his first as a pro.
The Louisville native capped 2022 by scoring City’s game-winning goal in the Eastern Conference Final, leading to a Comeback Player of the Year award from the league. He returned in 2023 to log a career-high 1,588 minutes, scoring three goals, registering an assist and winning 101 duels.
Going back to 2019, Wynder was the first player to sign a USL Academy contract with LouCity. He grew up training with the boys in purple and made a few appearances as an amateur along the way before earning his first professional deal.
“I’m happy to sign this contract, and I’m excited to get more time with the guys,” Wynder said. “It means a lot to play for my hometown club and to represent the city of Louisville. It’s been a dream to play here since I started training with the first team when I was in the academy. I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Wynder paved the way for five other LouCity Academy standouts to so far sign professional contracts with the club. That includes his younger brother, Josh, a defender who left last summer for Portugal’s S.L. Benfica on a USL Championship-record fee.
Issac Cano, Owen Damm, Carlos Moguel Jr. and Sebastian Sanchez have also gone on to emerge from the nascent Academy as pros.
