NPSL ALUMS JORDAN DUNSTAN, IAN MCGRATH RISE TO PRO RANKS WITH NASHVILLE SC

Jordan Dunstan and Ian McGrath both recently signed with Nashville SC ahead of the upcoming USL season, and both are excited to get their start as professionals.

“It’s been a dream come true to be honest I have always prepared myself for this so now that I have an opportunity I’m excited,” Dunstan said. “So far everyone has helped me ease into the whole life and I just love it.”

McGrath shares in the excitement, joining a fellow NPSL alum in Nashville.

“It was incredible, I was lucky enough to get a week-long trial with Nashville and I showed my best and was lucky enough to sign with this club.  This is something we dream about as kids and now it’s finally come true, so I’m just really excited for this opportunity.”

Dunstan joined Nashville SC after graduating from Brian College and after his third season with Chattanooga FC of the NPSL. Dunstan joined Chattanooga FC in 2014, and continued with the club through the 2017 NPSL season. His time with the club meant a lot to the 24-year-old central defender and he credits the club with keeping him ready for him to hit the ground running with Nashville SC.

“I loved being in Chattanooga,” Dunstan added. “I loved the city. I loved the club. They did so much for me.  It was really a great time and I am so grateful for my time with the club.”

Now that he’s playing as a professional, Dunstan wants to learn from the veterans ahead of him to help improve his own game.

“I have a lot of veterans in front of me, so the best thing I can do is learn from the guys in front of me and the coaches,” Dunstan concluded. “So I just want to get as much as I can out of this opportunity and just get better every day.”

Chattanooga FC General Manager Sean McDaniel believes that Dunstan’s future is very bright.

“We are always pleased whenever one of our own is able to move into a professional soccer career. We have all the confidence in the world that Jordan will have a successful journey and are glad he was able to make his start with Chattanooga FC. He will always be a part of our family and we couldn’t be happier for this great opportunity for him.”

McGrath joined Nashville SC after spending the 2016 season with FC Buffalo and graduating from Evansville in 2017. Like Dunstan, the time with FC Buffalo meant a lot to him.

“It was probably my favorite summer playing soccer,” McGrath said. “Such a great coaching staff, teammates, I would recommend that club to anyone.”

McGrath also credits his time with FC Buffalo for helping with his break-out senior season at the University of Evansville. In his senior campaign of 2016, McGrath notched a career-high and team-high 11 goals. His huge success led to Mountain Valley Conference All-Tournament Honors and NSCAA All-West Region team honors.

“I think that summer gave me a lot of confidence, prepared me physically and mentally,” McGrath continued. “And that helped me hit the ground running and helped me play my best.”

In this upcoming season, McGrath is looking to show what he can do.

“I just want to give as much as I can to my team and my coaches,” McGrath concluded. “I want to give my most every day and help the players around me.”

With the wealth of success Dunstan and McGrath have had on every level, the duo is likely to provide a great deal to the club in their inaugural USL season.