The U-22 Initiative was first introduced in April 2021, in order to encourage teams to use their rosters to develop young talent. When Major League Soccer added the U22 roster slot, it was a big step forward for teams.

It allows MLS clubs to sign up to four players*, aged 22 and younger, at a reduced Salary Budget charge. This frees up more budget for clubs to work with and makes it more appealing to sign talented young players to lucrative contracts.

Some teams in MLS have found it to be a useful slot as they build out their rosters. Other clubs, like FC Dallas, have struggled to figure it out.

As the club is getting set to move to the U22 roster construction model in 2025, let's take a dive into their history with the slot and how they've used it since its inception.

Szabolcs Schön

The first player brought in under this initiative. The Hungarian winger came in toward the end of the Luchi Gonzalez era from MTK Budapest. He appeared in 24 games in the 2021 season, with nine of those as a starter. He contributed six assists during that run but failed to find the back of the net.

Once Gonzalez was let go and Nico Estevez came on board, Schon failed to make an impact and find a place with the new manager in the 2022 season. His playing time went being a bench player in 2021 to someone who struggled to see even the bench in 2022. By the summer, FC Dallas reached a transfer agreement with Hungarian first-division side MOL Fehérvár FC.

Fast forward to 2024, Schon signed a three year deal with EFL League One club Bolton Wanderers for an undisclosed fee.