Luka Gavran much more than an emergency call up for TFC
The former NCAA draft pick made the most of his opportunity when he signed with Toronto FC in the summer.
There weren’t too many feel-good stories surrounding Toronto FC in its dismal 2023 season, but goalkeeper Luka Gavran's ascent from TFC 2 to the first team was one of them.
Gavran, a 23-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., was a second-round pick (31st overall) by Toronto in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft out of St. John’s University where he played four NCAA seasons and was named BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021.
Gavran spent the 2022 pre-season with the Reds, but rather than making the immediate jump to the senior side, he was signed by TFC 2 on March 24 and made his MLS NEXT Pro debut the following month.
His big career break came this past August when Toronto inked him to an MLS deal through 2023, with options for 2024 and 2025. He was added to the roster via the MLS Extreme Hardship rule which allows teams to sign a player to their squads when they have fewer than two goalkeepers or has less than 16 outfield players available.
