San Antonio FC has added 17-year-old Jose Gallegos to the club’s roster, the team announced today. Gallego’s registration with SAFC as a USL Academy Player allows him to play in competitive matches without potentially jeopardizing future college eligibility. The deal is pending league and federation approval.

“We are excited to add Jose to our roster from our SAFC Elite Training Program,” said SAFC Head Coach Darren Powell. “The ETP is a collaboration between SAFC and local clubs, and Jose has played for Classics Elite here in town for the last year and a half. He has performed well in a couple of reserve games for us, so we are pleased to add him to the roster. We are thrilled with our Academy Director Nick Evans and his staff for their continued ability to develop local talent.”

Gallegos was discovered by SAFC after participating in the club’s Elite Training Program. The midfielder also appeared in preseason matches with the club prior to the start of the 2019 USL Championship season. Gallegos plays his club soccer with Classic Elite Soccer Club in San Antonio and won the 2018 ECNL Championship. He also attends and plays for Central Catholic High School. While with Central, Gallegos won a TAPPS State Championship in his junior season while the Buttons were ranked number one nationally.

The SAFC Elite Training Program falls under the SAFC Pro Academy umbrella and is designed to be another collaborative effort between San Antonio FC and all San Antonio greater area youth soccer clubs. The ETP provides additional technical programming for boys, and serves as an identification and development program for future SAFC Pro Academy players at multiple age groups.

With the addition of Gallegos, the SAFC active roster currently stands at 23. He will wear No. 27 for the club.