Here are 10 quick facts about Jon Gallagher, Oliver Shannon and Gordon Wild, who were selected by Atlanta United in the first two rounds of Friday's MLS SuperDraft.
1. A native of Ireland, the “gh” in Gallagher’s last name are silent. So, it’s pronounced “Gallaher.”
2. Gallagher’s favorite player is another Irishman, former Manchester United legend Roy Keane. “Don’t have many similarities in our game but we are both tenacious.”
3. His favorite club team is Manchester United, which is also his family’s favorite. He has attended several of their games.
4. Shannon’s mom, Amanda, died of a brain tumor two years ago when he was a freshman at Clemson. She was 50. He wanted to come home but she forced him to go back to to school, earn his degree and become a professional soccer player.
5. Shannon’s biggest influence is his father, who he said has done a great job keeping the family together.
6. A native of Liverpool, England, Shannon’s favorite team is Everton. He spent 13 years in the team’s academy.
7. Shannon’s favorite soccer player is Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. “The way he comes up in big moments and leads a team.”
8. Wild, a native of Leonberg, Germany, left school with a year of eligibility remaining because he said he has always dreamed of becoming a pro soccer player.
9. He played for Mainz youth Academy in Germany and his parents performed as an acrobatic duo in traveling troupes and later created their own circus company.
10. He became friends with Atlanta United’s Julian Gressel, also a native of Germany, when the two were in college. Gressel played at Providence.
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