Philadelphia Union traveled 29 players to Spain in preparation for the 2025 campaign, including 22-year-old defender Isaiah LeFlore, who missed the entirety of his first season with the club due to injury.
Almost exactly one year ago, during the second day of his first training camp with the team in Clearwater, Florida, LeFlore tore his ACL, leaving him sidelined for the entire 2024 season.
After months of diligent rehab and long hours with trainers in the team’s facility in Chester, LeFlore is healthy, back to training, and optimistic about the year ahead.
“I feel good,” LeFlore said Friday after the team’s morning session in Marbella.
“I'm excited to be back on the field, excited for this beautiful weather and to compete with my teammates after having to wait and sit out a season.”
Philadelphia Union will play in two friendlies during their trip to Marbella, and should LeFlore make an appearance against either Slavia Praha or Aarhus Gymnastikforening, it would mark his first since signing from Houston Dynamo 2 in December 2023.
“The hardest part of the recovery was just not being able to compete, in my opinion. I’m a competitive person and I just signed here last season, so I want to prove myself as well. Not just to the club, but to fans, my teammates, and my family,” LeFlore said.
With new additions to the coaching staff in Head Coach Bradley Carnell and assistant Mitch Hildebrandt, LeFlore is starting 2025 with a clean slate and ambition.
“I think any young footy player wants to make their debut, so that's a personal goal I'd like to achieve,” LeFlore said of his hopes for the season ahead.
“Secondly, I just want to learn as much as I can and be the best teammate and player I can be. I have a good person to learn from in Kai Wagner. I think he's one of the best, if not the best, outside back in the league.”
LeFlore’s journey to this point has been a trying one. Relocating to a new city is often a challenge for any athlete, and he adjusted to the move without both physical mobility and the typical day-to-day camaraderie one can become accustomed to as part of a team.
At the start of recovery, he leaned on his older sister, Nina, who suffered a similar injury during her time as a college soccer player at Ohio State University.
"She said to take the time to feel what I need to feel, but at the same time, don't feel sorry for myself. Put my head down and just get to work," LeFlore recalled.
He heeded that advice, and one year later, it's paid off, as he's back in the locker room, training with the team, and eager for what's to come in 2025.
“You need that friendly banter. The competitiveness on the field translates into the locker room and your connections off the field, so to be back with the team on the field, it’s been really great,” LeFlore said.
