RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers announced on Thuesday former Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club and Richmond United Academy product Chris Durkin will join the team on loan from the club’s official Major League Soccer affiliate, D.C. United. Durkin will be available for selection this Saturday, July 16 when the Kickers host Swansea City of the Premier League at City Stadium.

Durkin signed a Homegrown contract with D.C. United last month, becoming the youngest Homegrown Player in club history. The 16-year old made his first team debut when he started United’s U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round match in June.

A native of Glen Allen, Va., Durkin joined the Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club when he was eight years  old. Splitting time between the Richmond United Academy and D.C. United Academy, he trained with the Kickers pro team during the 2015 season and featured in the exhibition match against the Premier League’s West Bromwich Albion as a 15-year-old last July before earning an invitation to U.S. Soccer’s residency program at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. in January 2016.

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Captain of the U17 U.S. Men’s National Team, Durkin recently traveled to India to compete in the 2016 All Indian Football Federation Cup. He played in four of the five fixtures, helping guide the team to the final where they fell 2-1 to the South Korean National Team in extra time.

Durkin will train with United and the Kickers throughout the summer and return to Bradenton full-time in August to continue his residency and to resume playing with the youth national team in preparation for the U-17 FIFA World Cup.  He will join United following the U-17 World Cup next year.