CHARLOTTE FC

Charlotte FC defender Adam Armour, 18, has international experience with the U.S. Youth National Team as a high schooler before launching his professional career in Germany.

Adam Armour got into soccer because he wanted to like his older brother Ethan.

It led to Armour to landing a Major League Soccer contract at age 18 and the Cary native is the youngest player – and first Black athlete – to sign with Charlotte FC on a two-year deal with one-year option.

“I really got into the game because of my older brother. He's a year and a half older,” Armour said. “Growing up I really always wanted to be like him and do stuff that he was doing. He started playing from a young age, and of course I wanted to follow him, so I started playing.”

Between the ages of 5-13, Armour always played with older competitors, including Ethan.

“I was always playing with him, and playing with the older kids,” Armour said. “He stepped away for a couple years to play other sports like football, basketball, but soccer was my sport. I never really played any other sport. My brother got me into it, and I kind of just fell in love with it.”

Ethan attends North Carolina and Adam committed as a high school sophomore to play at Duke but opted to pursue a professional career now. He said it was a difficult decision, as his parents stress education, but intends to start taking college courses online soon.

“I knew [Duke] was a great school academically and in terms of soccer, so I committed there,” Armour said. “I was excited, but I always had the dream to play professionally.”

Armour received U.S. Youth National Team call ups as a junior and senior in high school, including the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil and Concacaf U-17 Championship (he has 19 USYNT caps). That drew the attention European and MLS clubs. After decommitting from Duke, Armour went to Germany’s second-division side FC Nurnberg in 2 Bundesliga. He signed with FC Nurnberg in July 2020 after playing on an academy contract for North Carolina FC in USL Championship after playing in the NCFC youth system and its USL League Two side. Armour’s time in Germany fell under the cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic, but he made the most of the experience.

“Even if we couldn't play matches, I made sure every day in training I was learning everything I could,” he said. “Off the field I was learning everything I could, I was talking to the guys that were experienced and stuff, so I still got the most out of it. I feel like it was a big contributor to me gaining maturity on and off the field.”

Armour, who is on loan with USL Championship side Charlotte Independence leading up to Charlotte FC’s inaugural season, joins midfielder Brandt Bronico on loan to the second-division club. Bronico, a Charlotte 49ers alumnus and fellow North Carolinian, is the only current Charlotte FC signing with MLS experience. He and Armour have several months to develop chemistry leading up to Charlotte FC’s inaugural season in 2022.

“It’s exciting to have Adam there and to be able to play with him this year and see what kind of player he is, see what kind of person he is,” Bronico said. “The more you play with somebody, the better chemistry you build. It’s exciting to get a chance to play with him six, seven months before we start with Charlotte FC. I’m looking forward to the time we have together.”

Said Armour: “We’re making sure we’re staying sharp this season, making sure we are doing what we can for the team for the Independence when we're playing right now, but definitely preparing ourselves for next year. We’re definitely very excited about that.

Independence head coach and general manager Mike Jeffries expects Armour to get up to speed quickly with the Independence due to his athleticism and good technical abilities.
Defenders Christian Dean and Hugh Roberts are also helping Armour along with his development. The Independence rotate between three and four in the back, with Roberts at center back and Dean at left back. If they play three in the back, Armour would play left wing, and left back if Jeffries opts for four.

“Adam is a really good young player that we are excited to have in,” Jeffries said. “He is a left-sided attacking guy, very clever passer [with] really good ideas in the final third. It will be interesting to see how he integrates once we get him on the field more fully.”

Armour has played both left back and on the wing. Growing up he played up top as a forward, but it was left back that landed him an opportunity with the USYNT.

“One day, my coach told me the national team wanted to see me at left back,” Armour said. “I played there in the showcase, and I actually really enjoyed it. It allowed me to work on the defensive part of my game. I am a player that can go forward and can also defend, and I've been making sure that I'm getting as close as possible to perfecting both sides of my game in that aspect.”

Jeffries knows a thing or two about developing left backs on loan. U.S. National Team defender Sam Vines, who started 25-of-29 games for the Independence in 2018 while on loan from Colorado, was Armour’s age while he was in Charlotte. Vines has since played significant minutes for the Rapids and scored the game winner in the U.S. victory over Haiti in their Concacaf Gold Cup opener.

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