Dean Smith: "[Aron John]'s really impressed me"
- Brian Maurer
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Brian Maurer
Crown Legacy FC and Charlotte FC Academy prospect Aron John (19) has left a lasting impression with Charlotte Head Coach Dean Smith. After the team's first preseason friendly of 2026, Smith said, "[John]'s really impressed me," to the media in the postgame scrum. The coach also mentioned that the young midfielder could be in for some first-team minutes this season.
In August 2023, John was awarded the Crown's first-ever Academy Player of the Year award after finishing his U17 campaign with six goals and six assists. This was only the beginning of the young prospect winning personal accolades.
John has been earning minutes with Crown Legacy since their inaugural season in 2023, but in 2024, was when his impact on the field was truly felt, leading to his first pro contract. The Charlotte-native was named to the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI after racking up 18 goal contributions (8g/10a).
After the success of 2024, John turned some heads at the USYNT level and earned his first national team call-up in the spring of 2025. When talking to USYNT coach Rob Valentino about his time with the national team, he mentioned his versatility, humility, and coachability as key traits that stood out right off the bat. "I watched him at Crown Legacy play multiple positions, and that's what is also, for me, really good...in the training sessions, he was really sharp, really coachable with any little details you were to give him," said Valentino.
Valentino mentioned that John came on as a substitute against Spain in the first of two friendlies and was then given the start against Ukraine in the second. "He came into the game [against Spain] really well...for the game against Ukraine, he started that game as more of an eight, but we played him in a deeper position to help with our build-up," Valentino recalled. The US against Ukraine was a more physical affair, as the Ukrainians were a bit older and more structured in their approach. "He's got an unbelievable work rate...his effort was top."
A box-to-box midfielder is what John told us is his preferred position, but he was asked to play a bit higher in his preseason start against the Charleston Battery this past weekend, as he slotted into the attacking midfielder role that Brandt Bronico and Pep Biel occupied throughout Charlotte's 2025 season.
His ability to be flexible and play multiple positions, combined with his finishing ability and work rate, should suit John well as he looks to earn a First Team role and contract this preseason. "I just think he also has another quality...one, if he plays as a six, he can help in the deeper parts and help us in the build, and he's also shifty enough on the defensive side to block passing lanes or just break up plays and be a little bit nastier...he's not afraid to put himself around," assessed Valentino.
It is worth noting that his current professional contract is with Crown Legacy, but there is a First Team guarantee within that deal. Valentino's assessment does seem to highlight several traits that appear to be top of Smith's preferences in midfielders. It's just a matter of whether he can convince the club that 2026 is the right time to trigger that option.