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Once touted as a player with Landon Donovan potential, Jordan Allen has retired from professional soccer at just 24 years old.
It’s not a surprise, given Allen’s struggles with significant injury problems over the course of his career. Allen hadn’t played for Real Salt Lake since March 2017, ending up on the season-ending injury list for two consecutive seasons.
Allen, a player once with such potential, ended up having his retirement announcement tucked in a post about Real Salt Lake’s 2020 contract options.
A look down memory lane — not even a long look — will tell us everything about Allen’s career. He was a true prospect.
- Dec. 31, 2013: RSL signs Jordan Allen to homegrown contract
- May 20, 2014: Jordan Allen out for 2014, knee surgery on docket
- July 18, 2016: Jordan Allen should start at the 10, begin Morales succession
- June 30, 2017: Jordan Allen out for 2017 following knee surgery
Didn’t get to know Allen? Randal Serr conducted a two-part interview with him in January 2015; the two parts are below.
When it’s all said and done, Allen’s career is one of what could have been.
Now, he’s at University of Virginia again, getting a degree in foreign affairs, serving as an undergraduate assistant coach on the men’s soccer team. And while I’m nothing but happy for him, both in having that option — one of the stated reasons he attended UVA and didn’t just join RSL straight out of the academy was the university’s lifetime scholarship — and in pursuing a fascinating, impactful degree.