CHARLOTTE, N.C. – At 36 years of age, you’d think Jorge Herrera’s career might be close to winding down, but that’s very far from the case.

In fact, Herrera’s fitness provided little worry to Charlotte Independence Head Coach Mike Jeffries when the club approached the Colombian playmaker about returning to the club for a third season.

“His fitness level and daily work rate would be top shelf for a 29-year-old, so we do not focus on his age,” Jeffries said in the club’s press release. “In addition to his lengthy Charlotte experience, Jorge works to be a mentor to younger players in our group through his professionalism and his example.”

One of the USL’s all-time leaders in both regular-season goals (40) and assists (25), it’s that level of professionalism that has made him a major figure in Charlotte’s growing soccer scene. Herrera first arrived in North Carolina in 2007 when he joined the Charlotte Eagles, and has been a fixture in the city almost ever since.