Lily Yohannes on developing at Ajax, moving to Lyon, and a ‘surreal’ US debut

The 18-year-old US international marked her debut in France with a goal - continuing her fast start to life as a professional

Lily Yohannes wastes no time. The 18-year-old scored on her international debut for the US at age 16 last year, having become a starter for Ajax before that. Now, with a move to European power OL Lyonnes over the summer, Yohannes scored a goal and was named player of the match in her debut for the club, a 3-1 win over Olympique Marseille.

Born in Springfield, Virginia, to Eritrean parents, Yohannes was 10 when she moved to Europe after her father accepted a job in Amsterdam. She played on an amateur boys' team and quickly earned the attention of Ajax, who signed her to their youth academy at 13 years old.