Former Lions Defender Bryan Burke Signs With Louisville City

Louisville City FC, Orlando City's USL PRO affiliate, announced on Thursday that the club has signed former Lions right back Bryan Burke. Burke becomes the new club's eighth signing, and the fifth defensive player.

Louisville Head Coach James O'Connor has plenty of experience with Burke, having played with and against him in his days as a player with Orlando City SC.

"It was when I played against Burke while he was at LA Blues that I first noticed him," O'Connor said. "I really liked his attacking prowess and his aerobic ability. He will always pose an attacking threat, as he has fantastic ability to get up and down the field. We had to be patient, but we are thrilled that we are going to have him here in Louisville."

The 26-year-old Burke becomes the first former Orlando senior team player to sign with Louisville, joining Sean Reynolds — who played for the Orlando U-23 squad — as the only former Lions on the squad.

The Newport Beach, CA, native has played with Orlando for the last two seasons, where he was a significant contributor on the 2013 USL PRO championship squad, before a season-ending broken leg derailed his campaign. Before sustaining the injury against the Charleston Battery, he had started 15 matches in league play, in which he scored two goals and tallied four assists.

Before Orlando, Burke played college soccer at the University of San Francisco, where he was a four-year starter and three-year captain. He then made a stop in the USPDL, where he earned MVP honors, before signing with the LA Blues in 2012.

Did you know: Burke has his own official website?

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