 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1988-05-11)May 11, 1988 (age 37) | ||
| Place of birth | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2008 | Lenoir-Rhyne Bears | ||
| 2009 | Towson Tigers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Hampton Roads Piranhas | 13 | (4) |
| 2009 | Reading Rage | 16 | (17) |
| 2009 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 | (0) |
| 2010 | FC Tampa Bay | 19 | (4) |
| 2011 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 6 | (0) |
| 2012 | KTP | 17 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Philadelphia Union | 25 | (1) |
| 2013 | →Harrisburg City Islanders (loan) | 3 | (2) |
| 2014 | →Harrisburg City Islanders (loan) | 3 | (1) |
| 2015 | Wilmington Hammerheads | 10 | (2) |
| 2016–2017 | Harrisburg City Islanders | 27 | (7) |
| 2022–2023 | Colorado Springs Switchbacks | 44 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 20, 2023 | |||
Aaron Wheeler (born May 11, 1988) is an American former professionalsoccer player.
Wheeler attendedPatapsco High School inDundalk, Maryland, who he led to the 2005 Baltimore County championship title, and played three years ofcollege soccer atLenoir-Rhyne University before transferring toTowson University prior to his senior year. At Lenoir-Rhyne he was a two-time NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region First Team selection and a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference First Team member.
During his college years Wheeler also played for theHampton Roads Piranhas[1] andReading Rage in theUSL Premier Development League. He was the 2009 PDL Most Valuable Player, and led the league in scoring, recorded a goal or an assist in 13 of 17 regular season and playoffs matches, and finished the 2009 campaign with 17 regular season goals.[2]
Following the conclusion of the 2009 PDL season, Wheeler signed with theVancouver Whitecaps[3] He trained with the first team, and played exhibition games with theVancouver Whitecaps Residency PDL team, but was never called up to the seniorUSL First Division squad, and released when his contract expired in October 2009.
Wheeler signed for theFC Tampa Bay in theUSSF Division 2 Professional League in early 2010, and made his professional debut on April 16, 2010, in Tampa's first-ever game, a 1–0 victory overCrystal Palace Baltimore. He scored his first professional goal on May 19, 2010, in a 3–3 tie with theAustin Aztex.[4]
He also was one of the trialists for thePhiladelphia Union in the 2011Major League Soccer preseason.[5]He was not offered a contract by the Union, and instead signed with theFort Lauderdale Strikers of theNorth American Soccer League, on November 30, 2010.[6] He played just six games with the Strikers before suffering a season-ending injury. Wheeler was released at the end of the 2011 season.
He signed withFC KooTeePee of the FinnishYkkönen in March 2012. In January 2013, Wheeler signed withPhiladelphia Union inMajor League Soccer.[7]
On June 8, 2022, after nearly five years after playing his last professional game, Wheeler signed withUSL Championship sideColorado Springs Switchbacks.[8]
In addition to playing professionally, in his spare time, Wheeler coaches soccer to aspiring players in Maryland.[9]
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Canada | League | Canadian Championship | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 2009 | Vancouver Whitecaps | USL First Division | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 2010 | FC Tampa Bay | USSF Division 2 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 4 |
| 2011 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | NASL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Finland | League | Suomen Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 2012 | KooTeePee | Ykkönen | 17 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 |
| USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 2013 | Philadelphia Union | Major League Soccer | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Harrisburg City Islanders | USL Pro | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| USA | 33 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 7 | ||
| Finland | 17 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 50 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 12 | ||