Matthew Corcoran attended White Rock Elementary and Lake Highlands Junior High. Photo courtesy North Texas SC.
Matthew Corcoran, the 15-year-old soccer phenom who got his start on the playground of White Rock Elementary, has signed a professional contract with Birmingham Legion FC in Alabama. Corcoran is one of the nation’s top young prospects according to Top Drawer Soccer and will join Legion FC’s roster when preseason play begins in March.
“We are excited to add Matthew to our First Team roster,” said Jay Heaps, Legion FC’s president and general manager. “He already has an excellent skillset and ability, and we look forward to continuing his development within our group.”
Corcoran played for the Dallas Texans before joining FC Dallas Academy, where he and his team won Dallas Cup in 2021 and Munich, Germany’s FC Bayern Adidas Campus Cup in 2019. He made his professional debut in 2021 with North Texas SC, which plays Division III soccer in USL League One. With his move to Legion FC, he’s stepping up to the USL Championship League and Division II.
“I am both honored and excited to be joining Birmingham Legion FC,” said Corcoran. “The club stood out to me as a club that would allow me to grow as a player while competing for championships. I look forward to continuing my growth under Coach Soehn and his staff while soaking up everything I can from the senior players. Players want to do everything they can to bring a title to their supporters, and I will do everything I can to help make that happen.”
Heaps was optimistic Friday as he joined Birmingham Mountain Radio to share news that Corcoran would be joining the team.
“Rather than signing with MLS, he’s looking for a pathway to get into a professional environment, which we’re excited about because he has his upside. He’s got some growing to do in terms of his game, but he’s the type of player where he’s in with the junior national teams, he starts to get exposure and he’ll get better with us and be a big player for us and be someone who has an opportunity internationally to really project himself.”
Legion FC’s season runs from March through November, and tickets are available online here.
