Nashville SC signs 17-year-old Adem Sipić as first Homegrown Player in club history

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Soccer Club announced the signing of Academy product Adem Sipić, as the club’s first Homegrown player. Sipić will become eligible to compete as a Boy in Gold in Major League Soccer in the 2024 season through 2027, with a club option for 2028.

As part of the Homegrown Player program, Sipić becomes the first player in club history to complete the pathway to the pros for Nashville SC by developing through the club’s Academy onto Huntsville City Football Club, the club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate, and finally by signing a First Team contract.

The 17-year-old forward from Bowling Green, Ky. arrived at The Gold Mine, Nashville SC’s Academy, in 2020 as a U-15 player and quickly moved onto the U-17’s with whom he began playing as competition resumed in 2021, following the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In his first MLS NEXT season, Sipić appeared in 15 matches and scored two goals. His development and improvement became noticeable in the 2022/23 season, as he helped propel Nashville SC’s U-17’s through the GA Cup qualifiers and ultimately to the 2023 GA Cup in Florida where he registered two goals. As the captain of the U-17’s, Sipić appeared in 14 matches scoring 16 goals throughout the season.

A historic moment in Club history ⭐

We’re excited to announce we’ve signed 17-year-old Adem Sipić as our first ever MLS Homegrown Player @AdemSipic | #EveryoneN pic.twitter.com/ILlsXZlTMw

— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) June 13, 2023

“Signing Adem as our first homegrown player is special for not only Adem and his family and for our club’s fans, but really is a peek behind the curtain of what we hope will start to be a conveyor belt of players being grown develop through our First Team be it through our youth academy, which Adem has absolutely smashed over the past year or through Huntsville City FC, where he scored his first professional goal just a couple of days ago,” said Nashville SC General Manager Mike Jacobs. “We now have a full pro player pathway that for the first time enables us to be like any other club in the world. It’s exciting time for the present and the future of Nashville Soccer Club. Adem is truly a deserving candidate to be our club’s first Homegrown.

In addition to his performances at The Gold Mine, the young striker was called up several times to train with Nashville SC’s First Team during the club’s 2023 preseason and season, as he also moved up to compete with Huntsville City FC in the MLS NEXT Pro. Sipić made his Huntsville City FC debut in the club’s inaugural match against Crown Legacy on Mar. 26, as a second half sub, and recorded the shootout-winning kick from the spot in the sixth round. In total, Sipić has appeared in six matches for HCFC. Just this past Sunday, June 11, the striker scored his first professional goal during the run of play in his first start in a 4-2 victory over St. Louis CITY2 at the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium.

The Homegrown Player Rule was launched in 2008 to allow clubs to sign local players from their own academies to their First Team rosters. Because of this rule, clubs can sign an unlimited amount of academy players to a first-team contract on any given year. Any Homegrown Player must have resided in the club’s home territory and participated in its youth development system for at least one year, as well as meeting other unspecified league requirements.

Sipić, who will continue to compete with Huntsville City FC in the 2023 MLS NEXT Pro season, will join the Boys in Blue when they host Inter Miami CF II at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday, June 18. For more on the Homegrown signing, including quotes from members of the club, click here.

Transaction: Nashville SC signs forward Adem Sipić to a first-team contract as the club’s first-ever homegrown player starting in 2024 through 2027, with a club option for 2028

ADEM SIPIĆ
Position: Forward
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 180.5
Birthdate: April 5, 2006
Age: 17
Hometown: Bowling Green, Ky.
Nationality: United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina
Last club: Nashville SC Academy