Atlanta United selects Julian Gressel with 8th overall pick in 2017 draft

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Atlanta United had two first-round picks in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft and used its second selection - and eighth overall - to pick up versatile attacker Julian Gressel from Providence College.

The German-born winger/forward has made 83 appearances over four seasons, scoring 30 goals and recording 26 assists.

Gressel, 23, is no stranger to the professional ranks.

Reared by the same SpVgg Greuther Furth academy that produced among others Schalke's Baba Rahman and former German international Gerald Asamoah, Gressel then progressed with spells at Eintracht Bamberg and TSV Neustadt.

Those experiences should help Gressel acclimate with Tata Martino's demands as Atlanta embarks on its maiden voyage in the MLS.