Cavan Sullivan, 14, debuts for the Union’s reserve team with a game-winning assist

Cavan Sullivan made his debut for the Union’s reserve team on Sunday, amid continuing reports linking him to English superpower Manchester City.

Though the 14-year-old hasn’t signed professionally anywhere yet, Sullivan is allowed to play for the Union’s reserves as an amateur in the club’s youth academy. With the first team shorthanded and usual reserves David Vazquez and Neil Pierre away with the U.S. under-19 national team, a number of academy-level amateurs played against New England’s reserves at Subaru Park.

Sullivan took the field as a substitute in the 56th minute, playing as an attacking midfielder. He delivered the assist on the winning goal in the Union’s 2-1 victory, jumping on a loose ball and hitting a long pass over the middle to scorer Sal Olivas. It was a nice finish, too, as Olivas beat two defenders with his run and hit an 18-yard sizzler to the far post.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for a while, so it’s finally nice to get my debut, and to have an assist while I was at it,” Sullivan said afterward. “So I’m definitely happy right now.”

» READ MORE: Union phenom Cavan Sullivan has reportedly agreed to a deal with Manchester City

Sullivan had many family and friends in the crowd, including his mother, Heike, who has been one of the point people in discussions over his future. (He also has an agent at high-profile firm Wasserman, which represents many American soccer stars.) Heike politely declined comment when approached by The Inquirer.

Cavan’s older brother Quinn was on hand a day after scoring the Union’s second goal in a 3-1 upset win at the Portland Timbers. Quinn got to Chester for Sunday’s 3 p.m. kickoff just a handful of hours after the first team’s overnight flight home landed.

“We actually talked about the first team’s result, even in our pre-match, just trying to pick some inspiration up from what they went out and did,” Union II coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “It was great to see our guys match that as well.”

» READ MORE: How the Union pulled off one of their most unexpected wins ever, 3-1 at Portland

Reports of Cavan going to Manchester City have been in the news for months. Last weekend, global soccer transfer news-breaker Fabrizio Romano claimed City was “closing in on” Sullivan, and there was a “deal agreed.” The Athletic then said a deal “isn’t done yet, but the main points have all been agreed.”

It didn’t get as much attention when ESPN reported the following Tuesday that claims of an agreed deal “are premature.” Romano then doubled down on Sunday, saying “it’s all done and set to be signed soon.”

The key issue is that international laws bar City from signing Sullivan until he’s 18. He can play in the European Union, which England isn’t part of, at age 16 because he has a German passport through his mother’s side of the family.

As a result, the plan that’s made the rounds has been for City’s owner, City Football Group, to sign Sullivan and stick him at one of the many farm teams it owns in European countries. In this case, it would be Lommel SK of Belgium’s second division.

There’s been one big hole in the reports, though: How will Sullivan pass the time in some form until he turns 16 on Sept. 16, 2025? The lack of clarity has led to much speculation, and as Heike Sullivan indicated, the family still isn’t saying anything yet.

» READ MORE: ‘The sky’s the limit’ for Cavan Sullivan as he moves up the Union's pipeline

At least Cavan says he’s able to block out the noise.

“I mean, it doesn’t really bother me,” he said. “It’s always great to have hype and people telling you that you’re great, but right now I’m just focused on myself, focused on the team, Union II, and also [the] G.A. Cup is coming up.”

That was as close as anyone came Sunday to a definitive statement about his future.

“I tend to not even read stuff — don’t pay attention to it,” Sullivan said. “I was always told not to pay attention to the hype or anything like that, just focus on my game. So, no, it doesn’t really bother me.”

The tournament Sullivan referred to is the prestigious Generation adidas Cup for youth teams that starts next weekend. He’ll play for the Union’s under-17 squad there.

» READ MORE: Without Lionel Messi, Argentina’s other stars reminded fans why they’re World Cup champions in a visit to the Linc

When Sullivan returns to Chester, he’ll resume playing for the Union’s reserves as an amateur. The club obviously wants to sign him to a deal of some kind to start his pro career here, even if it’s only for a short time. Not only is he the best prospect in Union history, but if he leaves without turning pro here the club would miss out on a big transfer fee from selling him abroad.

That would harm the Union’s well-earned reputation as a destination club for young players, and not just local ones, who want to use MLS as a launchpad to fame in Europe. David Vazquez, for example, was willing to put up with months of bureaucratic headaches to join the Union’s youth academy from Los Angeles.

“We’ve got such a young, talented group and they’re brave, and I’ve got to be brave enough to give them opportunities to play,” LeBlanc said. And having known Sullivan since he was age 8, he knows how big a deal the player is and can be.

“I think he wanted to make something happen, which is something that’s absolutely fantastic,” LeBlanc said. “He’s a special player, but his best days are not at 14 — they’re going to be down the line.”

» READ MORE: David Vazquez is ‘feeling free’ in his first year as a pro