Marlon Hairston facts for kids
Hairston with the Columbus Crew in 2022
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marlon Hairston | ||
| Date of birth | March 23, 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Jackson, Mississippi, United States | ||
| Height | 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder, Full-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Hartford Athletic | ||
| Number | 94 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2014–2018 | Colorado Rapids | 95 | (7) |
| 2015 | → Charlotte Independence (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2019 | Houston Dynamo | 12 | (0) |
| 2020 | Minnesota United FC | 9 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | Columbus Crew | 24 | (0) |
| 2024– | Hartford Athletic | 19 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2014 | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Marlon Hairston (born March 23, 1994) is an American professional soccer player. He plays as a midfielder (a player who controls the middle of the field) and full-back (a defender who plays wide on the field). Currently, he plays for the USL Championship club Hartford Athletic.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
College Soccer Journey
Marlon Hairston grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. He then went on to play college soccer at the University of Louisville. During 2012 and 2013, he played in 39 games for the Louisville Cardinals men's soccer team. He scored six goals and made five assists.
In 2012, he was named to the All-Big East Rookie team, which means he was one of the best new players in that conference. In 2013, he helped his team win the American Athletic Conference championship. He was also named First Team All-AAC, showing he was one of the top players in the conference.
Starting with Colorado Rapids
After his second year in college, Marlon signed a special contract called a Generation Adidas deal. This allowed him to join Major League Soccer (MLS) early. He was chosen 12th overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids. This is like a draft in other sports where teams pick new players.
Marlon played his first professional game on March 29, 2014. He came into the game as a substitute. On August 20, he scored his first professional goal. In his first year, he played in 22 games and scored 1 goal. The Colorado Rapids had a tough season that year and did not make the playoffs.
In 2015, Marlon was loaned to Charlotte Independence, a team in a different league called the USL. Being "loaned" means he played for another team for a short time. He played well there, even earning "USL Player of the Week" after scoring a goal and getting an assist. Later that season, he returned to the Rapids and started playing as a right back, a new position for him.
Success and Challenges
In 2016, Marlon started to play more for the Colorado Rapids. He scored a winning goal against Sporting Kansas City. He continued to play well, scoring two goals and making two assists in four games. His strong play earned him a spot on the MLS Team of the Week. He finished the season with three goals and six assists. The Rapids had a great year, finishing second in their conference and making the playoffs. Marlon played in four playoff games as the team reached the Conference Finals.
In 2017, Marlon scored his first goal of the season in March. In July, he scored two goals in one game against the Houston Dynamo. He played in every league game that year, which is a big achievement! He scored three goals and made four assists, even though he often played as a right back. Despite his good performance, the team did not make the playoffs. Because of his strong play, he was invited to a training camp for the senior US National Team.
In 2018, Marlon played in a CONCACAF Champions League match, which is a big tournament for teams from North and Central America. He later had a knee injury that needed surgery, which kept him off the field for two months. He returned to play in June. He finished the season with 15 games played and two assists.
Moving to New Teams
On January 12, 2019, Marlon was traded to the Houston Dynamo. A "trade" means one team sends a player to another team, often in exchange for money or other players. He made his debut for Houston in a Champions League game. He played his first MLS game for Houston in March. He later got his first assist for the Dynamo. However, as the season went on, he played less. The team also changed coaches, which meant even less playing time for Marlon. He finished the season with 12 games played for Houston.
On November 13, 2019, Marlon was traded again, this time to Minnesota United FC. He made his debut for Minnesota in July 2020 during a special tournament called the MLS is Back Tournament, which was held because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He scored his first goal for Minnesota in August during that tournament. He helped Minnesota finish fourth in their conference and make the playoffs. He played in two playoff games as Minnesota reached the Conference Semifinals. After the 2020 season, he left the club.
In March 2021, Marlon joined the Columbus Crew as a free agent. This means he was not under contract with any team and could sign with any club he wanted. He was originally meant to be a backup player, but injuries to other players meant he had to step up and play in the midfield.
Most recently, Marlon joined USL Championship club Hartford Athletic on January 18, 2024.
Playing for His Country
Marlon was first called to a US national team training camp in April 2013 for the under-20 team. A month later, he was named to the roster for the 2013 Toulon Tournament, a competition for young players, but he did not play in any games. On January 8, 2018, he was called up to the senior United States men's national soccer team for a friendly game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. A "friendly" is a game that doesn't count for a championship. However, Marlon did not get to play in that game, so he did not earn a "cap" (an official appearance for the national team).
Personal Life
Marlon Hairston has an older brother named Marcus. Marcus also played college soccer but had to stop playing because of a serious knee injury. Marlon's cousin is LaMarcus Aldridge, who is a very famous basketball player and a 7-time NBA all-star.
Honors
Columbus Crew
- Campeones Cup: 2021
See also
In Spanish: Marlon Hairston para niños
