SARASOTA, Fla. – “I saw something in JD that I saw in Matt Turner,” said New England Revolution goalkeeper coach Kevin Hitchcock, describing the Revolution’s newest signing, JD Gunn.
Gunn, a 26-year-old Panama native, has been with New England’s second team since 2024, developing with the MLS NEXT Pro side for two seasons before earning his spot on the first team roster. Through his years with the club, Gunn has trained regularly alongside the first team goalkeepers and worked closely with Hitchcock as he sharpened his craft.
“I’m very excited. I put a lot of hard work into getting to the point I’m at now. It’s not the end goal, but it’s a good step. I’m excited to work with Hitchy [Hitchcock] still, and Matt [Turner] and Donovan [Parisian]. I’m just really excited about it all,” said Gunn.
Like both of his fellow ‘keepers, Gunn didn’t always plan on playing between the posts. Raised in Panama City, he spent his childhood playing soccer in the streets, but focused primarily on basketball, even representing Panama on youth national teams. Comfortable playing with his hands, goalkeeping was thrust upon Gunn when his middle school team was in need of a shot-stopper. He stepped in and never stepped out.
“It’s kind of a crazy story, just being throw into the goal, which I feel happens with a lot of goalies. You just kind of get thrown in there and fall in love with it. That’s what happened to me, and I’ve just never looked back,” he explained.
Gunn continued to refine his skills in college, receiving proper goalkeeper training during his time at Biola University and later at the University of Memphis, before signing to Revolution II.
As someone who once imagined their athletic future playing out on the court, Gunn now finds himself achieving his professional ambitions in a different kind of net. And he’s not only representing the Revolution – once again he’s representing Panama on the international stage. The goalkeeper has received multiple call-ups to the Panama national team roster, most recently earning his first senior cap in a January friendly against Mexico as the team prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“That was a dream come true,” said Gunn. “I honestly don’t know how to put it into words how incredible it was. It was an amazing experience and something I’ll think about for a long time.”
With his (soccer) international debut under his belt and his new contract with the Revolution first team signed, it’s clear that Gunn’s career is heading in an exciting direction. These steps couldn’t come at a more important time for the ‘keeper, as he has his sights set on joining Panama as they head to the world stage.
“It’s a World Cup year and as a player, you want to be part of that. We have a pretty good group of goalkeepers with the national team, so I know it’s not going to be handed to me. It’s something I’ve got to continue to work for, but I think that’s the story of my career,” Gunn explained. “I’ve had to work hard to be where I’m at. Nothing has ever been handed to me, so just trusting myself, my abilities, and the coaching, as well, has helped me get to that point. I think this is a really good opportunity for me, signing a first team deal. I think it shows more of what I have and I think it helps for the national team coaching staff to see that I’m progressing.”
Hitchcock, who has coached elite goalkeepers like Turner and Djordje Petrović and brings experience from top leagues around the world, sees real potential in Gunn. To him, Gunn is a player who could become great, but it’s up to his own ambition.
“JD has all the tools to be a top-class MLS goalkeeper. It’s up to JD whether he takes it serious enough to get there,” said Hitchcock. “We’re working on everything in training and to have Matt [Turner] back pushing him as well and Donnie [Parisian] pushing him, it’s going to be a good year for him.”
With two goalkeepers under his guidance gearing up for a shot on the world stage, Hitchcock put it simply: “We must be doing something right.”
