Khiry Shelton

Khiry Shelton

Shelton playing for New York City FC in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Khiry Lamar Shelton
Date of birth	June 26, 1993
Place of birth	Fort Carson, Colorado, United States
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position	Forward, Winger
Club information
Current team	New York City FC
Number	19
Youth career
2009–2011	Lonestar SC
College career
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2011–2014	Oregon State Beavers	52	(19)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2012–2013	Austin Aztex	7	(4)
2014	Lane United	5	(3)
2015–	New York City	22	(2)
National team^‡
2010–2011	United States U18	3	(0)
2015–	United States U23	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of March 6, 2016. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of November 12, 2015

Khiry Lamar Shelton (born June 26, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays as a striker for New York City FC in Major League Soccer. He has also played for the United States under-18 and under-23 national teams.

Club career

College and amateur

Shelton was born in Fort Carson, Colorado. He attended high school at Vista Ridge in Cedar Park, Texas, becoming a four-year letterman for their soccer team, while in 2010 he was selected as Offensive MVP and was a first-team member of the All District select.^[1] Joining Lonestar SC, he was a member of the academy and played for them at under-17/18 level, winning the Disney Showcase Championship with them in 2010.^[1]

Joining Oregon State University, he worked his way immediately into their soccer program, starting the first six games of the season before an injury took him off the active roster for the rest of the season.^[1] In his second year, he received a Pac-12 Honorable Mention for his fifteen appearances, scoring in his first three appearances and finishing the season as the joint second highest scorer for the team.^[1] His third year saw him make ten appearances and equal his four goals from the season before.^[1]

New York City FC

On January 15, 2015, Shelton was selected 2nd overall by New York City FC in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft,^[2][3] with the expansion club turning down an offer of a considerable amount of allocation money in exchange for their pick to instead draft the player who Head Coach Jason Kreis described as "our top guy".^[4]

He made his debut for the club coming in their first Major League Soccer match, away to fellow expansion team Orlando City SC at the Citrus Bowl; he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute for Mehdi Ballouchy in an eventual 1–1 draw.^[5] Shelton totalled 17 games in his first season as his team missed out on the MLS Cup Playoffs, and scored one goal: on May 15 at Yankee Stadium against the Chicago Fire, he replaced Patrick Mullins after 60 minutes, and in added time he equalized for a 2–2 draw from David Villa's pass.^[6]

International career

Shelton was called up to the United States under-18 team in 2010, attending a training camp with them in California before flying out to Israel in December 2010 to compete in an international tournament against the hosts plus France and Germany.^[1] He played in all three games, but failed to score in any.^[7][8][9]

Some five years later, his drafting by New York City FC led to Shelton receiving a call-up to the United States under-23 in their games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Denmark in March 2015.^[10] Shelton was brought on from the substitutes bench after 61 minutes against Bosnia^[11] and played the full match against Denmark,^[12] though again he failed to score on either occasion.

In January 2016 Shelton received his first call up to the senior United States squad for friendlies against Iceland and Canada.^[13]

References

1. "Khiry Shelton Biography". osubeavers.com. July 1, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
2. "MLS SuperDraft: New York City FC take Oregon State forward Khiry Shelton with No. 2 pick". mlssoccer.com. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
3. "Khiry Shelton, Oregon State Beavers soccer star, selected No. 2 overall in MLS SuperDraft". oregonlive.com. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
4. "MLS SuperDraft: NYCFC entertained offers for No. 2 pick, but opted to select "our top guy" Khiry Shelton". mlssoccer.com. January 15, 2015. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
5. "Orlando City 1-1 New York City: Last-gasp Kaka earns 10-man hosts point on MLS debut". Goal.com. March 8, 2015. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
6. Butler, Dylan (May 15, 2015). "New York City FC 2, Chicago Fire 2". Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
7. "U.S. U-18 MNT Opens Four Team Tournament with Loss to France in Tel Aviv". ussoccer.com. December 14, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
8. "U.S. Plays to a Scoreless Draw Against Hosts in Israel". ussoccer.com. December 17, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
9. "US U-18s lose to Germany in tourney closer". ussoccer.com. December 17, 2010. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
10. "Khiry Shelton Named to United States Under-23 National Team". nycfc.com. March 22, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
11. "U.S. U-23 MNT Opens Up 2015 with 5-2 Win Over Bosnia U-21s". ussoccer.com. March 27, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
12. "U.S. U-23 MNT Falls to Denmark 1-0 to Wrap Up European Camp". ussoccer.com. April 1, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2015.
13. "Evans, Orozco Released to Club Teams as MNT's January Camp Winds Down".

External links

• MLS player profile
• Oregon State University bio