Louisville City FC on Wednesday announced the signing of its first Academy player in 16-year-old Oldham County native Elijah Wynder.

Under the United Soccer League's Academy agreement, Wynder, a student at Louisville Collegiate School, is eligible to play with Louisville City, pending league approval. He also retains his amateur status and NCAA eligibility.

This past season, Wynder, listed as a midfielder, scored 13 goals and seven assists at Louisville Collegiate, according to KHSAA's website.

"We are excited about signing Elijah and look forward to continue working with him to accelerate his development,” Louisville City coach John Hackworth said in a statement. “Part of our vision for Louisville City is to grow and develop the next generations of stars in our community, and signing Elijah is our next step in that process.”

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Wynder's signing comes amid a league push to establish soccer academies under a new tier in the league’s brand, dubbed "USL Academy."

The league recently announced the creation of the USL Academy Cup, a competition set to begin this year that will set the stage for the Academy League. Louisville City officials have said they plan to compete in the USL Academy Cup in 2020.

Louisville City's Academy falls under the responsibility of Mario Sanchez, the team's new director of youth development and community. Sanchez said he was "thrilled" to make Wynder his first signing.

"I have seen Elijah develop over the past few years," Sanchez said. "Elijah has an incredibly bright future. This signing is both an acknowledgement of the player he is now, but also a vote of confidence in the player he is going to become as he continues to mature and grow.”

Wynder was signed by Louisville City after training with the team for weeks alongside several other young local stars. He called the offer a "surprise."

"It was unexpected, but it is exciting," Wynder said. "I’m excited about the opportunity to join the club."

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He played this past season alongside his older brother, Isaiah, who scored 23 goals and had 20 assists. The duo led a Collegiate team that finished 18-5-2. Isaiah, who is committed to Louisville, was named Kentucky High School Soccer Coaches Association defensive player of the year.

Their father, Mike, said the family "is so proud of Elijah."

"I’m very excited for our son," Mike said. "This is an incredible opportunity for him. We give God the glory for this opportunity for our son. Our family is so proud of Elijah and I’m looking forward to seeing him grow."

Wynder will continue his schoolwork at Louisville Collegiate and continue playing for his club team, Ohio Elite-KY. He'll join Louisville City for its upcoming road trip to Florida, where they'll take on the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday.

Justin Sayers: 502-582-4252; jsayers@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @_JustinSayers. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/justins.