Union reserve goalkeeper Holden Trent dies suddenly at age 25

The Union announced Saturday that reserve goalkeeper Holden Trent died suddenly at age 25.

No cause of death was given.

On Thursday, Trent’s family announced on his Instagram page that he had been admitted to the intensive care unit of a hospital, with no further details.

“The Philadelphia Union is devastated by the heartbreaking passing of Holden Trent,” the team said in a statement. “While he was a wonderful player and fierce competitor, he was more importantly a devoted son, brother, fiancé, and teammate who made those around him better. He embodied the true meaning of determination, dedication and perseverance, and he will be deeply missed. We extend our greatest sympathies to his family, his fiancé, and his friends.”

Trent’s family added Saturday: “We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Holden passed away this afternoon surrounded by his family and friends. Details on services and celebration of life are forthcoming. Our family is deeply touched to see and experience the love you all have for Holden.”

A native of Greensboro, N.C., Trent was drafted by the Union in December 2022 out of High Point University. He subsequently signed a contract that was guaranteed for 2023 and had team options through 2026.

It marked the first time the Union used a pick in Major League Soccer’s college draft since 2018, and the first time they used a first-round pick since 2016. Before then (and since), the team preferred to promote young prospects from within their youth academy, so they traded picks away for other assets.

A series of injuries limited Trent’s playing time. In particular, a broken finger that he suffered last year did not heal as planned, so he had surgery at the start of this year.

He played six games over his two years as a pro, all for the Union’s reserve team, Union II. The last was on June 26 of this season. He made the first team bench on some occasions, but never saw the field at the top level.

“Major League Soccer joins the Philadelphia Union and our entire soccer community in mourning the tragic passing of Union goalkeeper Holden Trent,” commissioner Don Garber said in a statement. “A young goalkeeper with a bright future, Trent showcased determination and professionalism every day as he contributed to the close-knit goalkeeping unit at Philadelphia. We extend our deepest condolences to his fiancée, his family and friends, his teammates, and the entire Philadelphia Union community.”

Garber further said that the league “is coordinating with the club to provide players and family members with the resources and support they need during this tragic time.”

The Union said that “out of respect to Holden’s friends and family, there will be no further statements at this time” and asked that the family’s “privacy is respected as they grieve.”

Coincidentally, Union II had an MLS Next Pro playoff game at Subaru Park on Saturday, an Eastern Conference semifinal against Charlotte FC’s reserves, Crown Legacy. After the Union’s Olwethu Makanya opened the scoring in the 28th minute, Crown Legacy’s Dylan Sing equalized in the 89th.

There were no goals in the 30 minutes of extra time, so the game went to a penalty kick shootout. Union goalkeeper Andrew Rick made two saves to earn the win, while standing in the River End goal with a banner in Trent’s honor behind him.

“First and foremost, we continue to send our prayers, our best wishes, and our condolences to the Trent family,” Union II coach Marlon LeBlanc said after the game. “He was a big inspiration for the group today.”

LeBlanc said he found out about Trent’s death only half an hour or so before he was to have the pregame meeting with his players.

“Holden, his act of selflessness from — I mean, I don’t even know if I’m supposed to say it, but — he was an organ donor, and he was a hero,” LeBlanc said. “And we went in that room, and we said to the guys, you know, we’ve got to make sure that we have an opportunity to talk about him afterward, and it’s not the time to feel sorry for ourselves.”

LeBlanc didn’t say if Trent’s organ donation was related to his hospitalization, but he did add: “The guy went out a hero today, and we’ve got to make sure that people know about it, and the only way we’re going to let people know about it is if we go out and win this game and I get a chance to go out in front of all you guys and tell you about it.”

The team “didn’t want to make tonight just about Holden, but we wanted to make sure that we honored him and we didn’t mourn him,” LeBlanc added.

“I think the guys went out today and honored him with the performance,” he said. “These guys were speaking for the organization today, and I thought they spoke loud for the organization with the way that they performed and the way that they ground out an incredible result. And now I have an opportunity with this mic in front of me to tell you that those guys grew up in that locker room, they’ve grown up all year long, and this was another part of the resilience that needed to be shown.”

After the final whistle, the team gathered on the field together and held up Trent’s jersey for the cameras.

“We’ve been talking about [Trent’s situation] for a couple of days,” LeBlanc said. “I didn’t have to do anything today outside of that [pregame] moment, and then I reminded them a couple times what they were playing for in the second half when it became a little bit hard. … I think the whole club is incredibly proud of this group of players.”