INDIANAPOLIS – Indy Eleven announced on Monday the club had signed defender Aedan Stanley, who comes to the Circle City after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with fellow USL Championship club Miami FC. Per club policy, terms of the deal will not be disclosed, and the transaction is pending league and federation approval.

One of the most consistent players in the USL Championship in 2023, Stanley was one of only eight players to eclipse 3,000 minutes during the regular season and one of nine to start all 34 regular season matches. He finished tied for the team lead with three assists and was fifth in the league with 170 crosses. Defensively, Stanley was one of the team leaders in clearances, blocks and interceptions. The 2022 season saw Miami reach the USLC Eastern Conference Quarterfinals with Stanley starting 29 of 31 games played and registering three assists.

Stanley was selected as the 21st pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft by Austin FC and signed with the expansion side on April 16, 2021. He played in nine matches, making two starts, with the club before signing with Miami ahead of the 2022 season.

A USL Academy signing for Saint Louis FC, Stanley competed in the Championship as a teenager before playing collegiately at Duke for two seasons (2018-19). He joined then-USL Championship side Portland Timbers 2 for 2020. In 16 starts, Stanley played all 90 minutes and recorded a pair of assists. Following his initial season, Portland announced it would forego the 2021 season and Stanley was shortly after drafted by Austin FC.

Analysis

Aedan Stanley heads to Indy Eleven having put together two solid campaigns in Miami, and at 23 years old the versatile defender could be a big new addition for Indy’s back line as he enters his prime. Stanley graded out fourth in Miami’s roster with a +4.42 base goals added mark in the past campaign, and recorded 39 interceptions, 15 blocked shots and 70 clearances individually.

Stanley can play as a full back or as the right side in a three-man back line, offering the person who takes the reins in Indy after Mark Lowry’s departure a player who can slot into the lineup in either defensive set-up. With 99 appearances in the Championship’s regular season and playoffs in his career, Stanley should be aiming for a breakthrough campaign in his new venue.