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One to Watch: Charlotte FC Academy prospect Daniel Brown is the 9th youngest player to make an MLS NEXT Pro debut

  • Writer: Andrew Crowell
    Andrew Crowell
  • 13 minutes ago
  • 3 min read

By Andrew Crowell


Daniel Brown (Photo courtesy of Laura Stroud/Charlotte FC)
Daniel Brown (Photo courtesy of Laura Stroud/Charlotte FC)

Charlotte FC may have a new young starlet on their hands. Daniel Brown, a 14-year-old winger from Durham, NC was given his MLS Next Pro debut on March 6th making him the 9th youngest player all time to make his debut. He plays as a winger most of the time but could easily slot in as a 10 in the future with his technical ability and creativity. The young winger was also recently called up to the U.S. U-15 Youth National Team in September and is certainly making a name for himself as a top prospect. 


To get an idea of how Brown compares to other young debutants, below is a list of the top 10 youngest debutants in MLS Next Pro history. 


  1. Luis Rivera – Real Monarchs - 14 yrs 3 months 24 days (DOB 12/1/2007, debut on 3/27/2022) - The Mexican-American midfielder continues to feature in the Monarchs Next Pro team, with over 20 appearances to his name so far.


  2. Maximo Carrizo - NYCFC - 14 yrs 4 months 27 days (DOB 2/28/2008, debut on 7/24/2022) - Became MLS’s youngest ever first team signing in 2022 and usually makes cameos off of the bench for the club.


  3. Sebastião Nzita – Houston Dynamo 2 - 14 years - 5 months, 13 days (DOB 10/10/2010, debut on 3/23/2025) - The Angolan forward has made limited appearances since his debut but the potential is certainly there.


  4. Axel Kei - Real Monarchs - 14 yrs 5 months 14 days (DOB 12/30/2007, debut on 6/12/2022) - The homegrown forward helped the MLS Next Pro team win the MLS Next Cup in 2021 with a golden boot winning season. But since then, Kei has not quite lived up to his potential and was waived in the summer transfer window in 2025.


  5. Cavan Sullivan – Philadelphia Union II - 14 years 5 months 25 days (DOB 9/28/2009, debut on 3/24/2024) - Where does one begin with Cavan Sullivan? One of the most exciting American prospects of all time, Sullivan joined the Union Academy in 2020 and quickly made a name for himself not only for the Union but the USMNT youth teams as well. He led the US U15 National Team to victory in the CONCACAF U15 Championship, which was the first time the US ever won the tournament and even won the Golden Ball award, given to the best player in the tournament. Sullivan has a clause in his contract that involves a transfer to the Premier League’s Manchester City when he turns 18.


  6. Zamir Loyo Reynaga – Sporting Kansas City II – 14 years 8 months 8 days (DOB 1/20/2011, debut on 9/28/2025)
 - A midfielder from Sporting KC’s academy, he is currently featuring for the MLS Next Pro side Sporting Kansas City II and will be elevated to Sporting Kansas City’s first team in 2027 as a homegrown player. The left-footed attacking midfielder started in Sporting KC II’s only match so far this MLS Next Pro season.


  7. Vinny Garcia – VCFC - 14 yrs 8 months, 11 days (DOB 6/25/2010, debut on 3/7/2025) - An outstanding midfielder for LA Galaxy’s MLS Next Pro team Ventura County FC, he played a full 90 minutes in the both games of the season so far after contributing off the bench most of last season.


  8. Christopher Cook – NTX – 14 years 9 months 9 days (DOB 10/13/2009, debut on 7/21/2024) - coming out of the Dallas academy, Christopher “Steel” Cook was an MLS Next all star last season and continues to make a name for himself as one of the best midfield prospects in MLS Next Pro.


  9. Daniel Brown  - CLFC – 14 years 10 months 1 day (DOB 5/8/2011, debut on 3/6/2026)


  10. Apolo Marinch – CLB – 14 years 10 months 11 days (DOB 4/29/2010, debut on 3/23/25) - Used as a substitute for most of his MLS Next Pro appearances, Marinch was a developing forward in the Columbus Crew system who recently signed with USL side Orange County SC in September of 2025.


Young stars have a wide range of potential. Some turn into stars that even have the chance for a European move (think Alphonso Davies), while some crash and burn and never realize that professional potential. Axel Kei, spot number four on the list, was widely touted as the next big forward, especially with his Golden Boot-winning MLS Next Pro season. Kei being waived is one of the biggest surprises on a list with so much potential.


While pressure comes with being a young and successful upcoming player, Charlotte FC has a good reputation for developing youth talent, from Aron John to Nimfasha Berchimas. Daniel Brown? Certainly a name to keep an eye on.


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