Louisville City FC last stepped on the pitch in mid-November, but that hasn’t slowed Josh Wynder’s career momentum.
Wynder was on Thursday named one of U.S. Soccer’s five finalists for 2022 Young Male Player of the Year with this fan vote form open through Dec. 22 accounting for 15% of the award’s weight. The rest comes from national team players, coaches, media and other constituents.
Others in the running for U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year include midfielders Paxten Aaronson and Yunus Musah as well as goalkeepers Chris Brady and Diego Kochen.
This honor goes back to 1998. A total of 23 of the 24 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year winners have earned caps with the full USMNT, and 10 have gone on to represent the USA at a FIFA World Cup. The list includes names such as Landon Donovan (2000), Jozy Altidore (2006) and Christian Pulisic (2016).
Wynder’s nomination is only the latest bit of good news for the 17-year-old LouCiy Academy graduate. The defender’s Transfermarkt value jumped to a USL Championship-leading €1 million late last month, with the local center back touted as a “super talent” by the leading worldwide evaluator of players’ transfer values.
Wynder saw his role grow dramatically in 2022, when he started in 21 of his 24 appearances, missing part of the summer due to injury. Along the way, he earned multiple call-ups and captained the United States’ U-19 national team.
Upon turning 18 this May 2, Wynder will become eligible for a European transfer when the summer window opens. It’s a major impending step in his career and an increasingly lucrative prospect for his hometown club.
