Luke Brennan was 13 years old when Atlanta United hoisted MLS Cup in just its second season. Central to those efforts, of course, was Miguel Almiron, in what ultimately was his last game before heading to Newcastle United.
For Brennan, a teenager in his first year in Atlanta’s academy, Almiron was the perfect player for him to emulate.
“I remember just looking at him and (seeing) how good he was, and I was hoping that one day I could become like him,” Brennan said from Atlanta United’s training location at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
Now, the two are teammates: after a spell in the Premier League with Newcastle — where he appeared in over 220 matches over parts of 7 seasons — Almiron is back with Atlanta.
“I never really thought of us playing together, but it’s pretty cool,” Brennan said. “It’s a full circle moment, and I’m excited.”
Brennan’s own career has been on the rise since joining Atlanta’s academy in 2018 and making his debut with ATL UTD 2 in 2021 at 16: he played over 1,000 minutes there in 2022 before signing a professional contract with them in 2023 — making his MLS debut that June against New York City FC — and joining the first team on a homegrown deal in January 2024.
He went on to make 7 appearances in league play in 2024, and there’s no reason to think that number won’t increase in 2025 under Ronny Deila, who’s been impressed with the 19-year-old in their relatively brief time together.
“I really believe in Luke. He has something special,” Atlanta United’s first-year head coach said after a 2-0 preseason win over Birmingham Legion FC on Feb. 1. “There’s going to be competition, but we’re also going to play a lot of games, and we need everybody.”
And if Brennan is to reach his full potential, including more opportunities on the international stage after winning a pair of caps with the United States U-20 team this past fall, at least he’ll have plenty of players to pull advice from, including Almiron.
“He’s had a great career and I’ve watched him when he was in Atlanta through Newcastle,” he said. “So I’m looking to learn from him and becoming closer with him this year.”
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I like his grit, though I want to see him be a bit more aggressive. he’s not going to control the tempo or drive the ball forward as much as other wingers…he just doesn’t have that field presence. But if he was a bit more aggressive with his style of play (which we saw in a few of his earlier games), he can make a big impact on the game.
If he continues to improve, his ceiling is very high