IRVINE, Calif. – Orange County SC announced on Thursday the club had signed defender Joey Buckley to his first professional contract ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. Buckley becomes the third Barcelona Residency Academy graduate to join the club following in the footsteps of United States U-19 international Korede Osundina and forward Bryce Jamison.

“I signed with Orange County because they are a respected organization and club that will guide me as I start my professional career,” said Buckley. “I look forward to helping the team return to the top of the league and develop not only as a player, but as a person as well.”

The 17-year-old is aiming to follow in the footsteps of former Orange County standouts Kobi Henry and Ronaldo Damus and use OCSC as a “Launchpad” for their careers. Henry and Damus are two of the four players that have starred for Orange County SC in the USL Championship before moving on to top-tier European sides in recent years.

“We are delighted to sign Joey Buckley, another top U.S. youth soccer talent, to his first professional contract at Orange County,” said OCSC General Manager and President of Soccer Operations Oliver Wyss. “Joey has a tremendous future ahead of him and we are looking forward to seeing him develop as a player and person in our professional environment!”

A native of Westwood, Mass., Buckley has spent four years at the Barca Academy in Phoenix. He has twice been called into regional identification camps for the United States Youth National Team. During his time in Phoenix, his play impressed so much that he earned a training invite from La Masia, Barcelona’s famed academy in the Catalan capital. Once in Spain, Buckley trained with the U-18 side “Juvenil B'' at La Masia.

“We are extremely proud of Joey as he signs his first professional contract with Orange County SC,” Barcelona Residency Academy Director Ged Quinn said. “After being with us for 4 seasons we have had the pleasure of seeing him grow and mature as a player as he progressed from our U15 through to our U19 teams. He has developed into one of the top outside backs in the country and will be a great addition for OC as they enter into the 2023 season.”