READING, PA (April 2, 2019) – Reading United has three former Philadelphia Union Academy players returning to compete in the 2019 season, pending league approval. Lamine Conte, Kalil ElMedkhar, and Jeremy Rafanello will all return to Reading to play under Head Coach Alan McCann for another competitive USL League Two season.

Lamine Conte returns to Reading for his third season, where he’ll look to be a key figure on the back line. An NAIA Second Team All-American in 2017, Conte transferred to Louisville ahead of his junior year. During his 2018 season with the Cardinals, Conte helped the team win the ACC Championship, collecting ACC All-Tournament Team honors in the process. Over his previous two seasons in Reading, he has played in 25 games between regular season and playoffs, showcasing his talent for over 2000 minutes in a United jersey.

Kalil ElMedkhar will call Reading home for a second straight season. The versatile midfielder had an eye-opening campaign at Kentucky this past season. During his sophomore campaign, ElMedkhar scored 11 goals with 11 assists, ranking seventh in Division I in assists and ninth in points. Last season with Reading, Kalil played in ten regular season games and four playoff games, where he tallied three goals with three assists.

“We’re looking forward to having the lads back in,” said United head coach Alan McCann. “With Kalil and Lamine both coming off successful college seasons, we’re excited to get to work with them on and off the field, and help them continue to push towards the next level.”

Jeremy Rafanello returns to Reading after a cup of coffee during the 2018 season. His freshman season at Penn State was a solid one, picking up Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors after netting three goals. During his final season playing for Union Academy, Jeremy ranked fourth in the nation in USSDA goal scoring. Rafanello played one game during the 2018 season for Reading, the regular season finale against Lehigh Valley.

McCann added, “With ‘Rafa’, we are excited to have him in from the start this year, after he impressed with us late last year.”

Reading United will begin their 24th season on May 11th at Lehigh Valley United. Reading will return home for their regular season opener on Saturday, May 25th against FA Euro. Season tickets are on sale at readingunitedac.com/tickets, and will cover all regular season games.