If you have been following Louisville City’s preseason match lineups, you will have noticed an unfamiliar name. Jan-Erik Leinhos, a 24-year-old German, has earned his way from a trialist to a full signee on Coach Danny Cruz’s 2022 team. Leinhos’s experience includes 4th division German side KSV Hessen Kassel but more notably a 4-year collegiate career at Marshall. With the Herd, he had 72 starts in 74 played matches with a career total of nearly 6,400 minutes. During his college career, the right-back hoisted the 2020 College Cup, NCAA Division I soccer’s national title.
“I’m very honored to be a part of Louisville City FC and couldn’t think of a better place to continue my career,” Leinhos said. “I felt welcomed from the first minute on, and I’m ready to work hard and contribute as much as I can toward winning.”
“We are very happy to announce Jan-Erik's signing," said Coach Cruz. "He is a player that has worked extremely hard to earn this contract throughout our preseason. Jan-Erik is a strong one-on-one defender who is calm on the ball and brings the right mentality to work every single day. He’s a player that can play outside back on either side as well as wingback, and we are looking forward to seeing him continue to grow here at Louisville City."
Despite the roster appearing completion from the outside, his continued presence in the preseason matches led me to believe that we may see him put pen to paper before the start of the regular season. I’m thrilled to see another outside defender in the mix to compete for minutes. It was a area of particular concern with the departures of Jonathan Gomez, Pat McMahon, and Akil Watts. He managed to get his hands on some silverware at the college ranks and I hope that he can serve as a contributing factor in lifting trophies with his new purple family!
Parting Thoughts
Want to do a little more reading on LouCity? Might I suggest The Tifos of Louisville City, The Louisville City Youth Movement, Louisville City’s Pathway To The Pros, Louisville City's Preparations For The Future, What Are Expected Goals (xG)?, or What Are Goals Added (G+)?.
Have a friend just getting into LouCity soccer? Be sure to send them the Introduction To Louisville City link to give them a point of reference to learn about the club and league.
Be sure to check out the Vamos Morados Podcast featuring me, Benton, and Zach Allen-Kelly. It’s available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, Audible, and Spotify. Everything you need to listen can be found on the Podcast page. Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode!
If you don’t follow the site on Facebook, do yourself the favor and follow there so you don’t miss any of the action! I'm also on Twitter dispensing #LouCity and #RacingLou info and thoughts.
If you’re looking to expand your purple wardrobe, Vamos Morados shirts and sweatshirts are available! All proceeds will be going to charitable endeavors!