2025 is a big year for Atlanta United goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert. It's his first on the MLS roster for the club after starting his pro career last season in MLS Next Pro. With only three goalkeepers signed at the moment between the first and second teams, it's expected that Hibbert will be heavily involved in both.
"I learned a lot about myself in my first professional season. I would say it came mentally, knowing your body, when to eat and drink fluids and how to handle yourself," Hibbert said. "So you're always prepared and ready. You know, the saying that if you stay ready, you never have to get ready."
Hibbert stayed ready to play in 23 matches in 2024, including a loan spell with the Birmingham Legion of the USL Championship, where he played four times. "It taught me what it meant to be a number one keeper. I went in there and there was no else, just me and I was the guy and a lot of weight was put on my shoulders to be a leader as a young guy." The time in Birmingham was a big step in Hibbert's development last season.
Finding your way as a first year pro is always a challenge. Hibbert said, "Having to break that middle ground line of being a teammate, a friend, and then a competitor on the pitch is something I learned quickly with the 2's."
"You know, at the end of the day, we're all friends and teammates, but when you step in between those lines, I'm trying to win a spot here." Hibbert mentioned learning from veteran goalkeepers like John Berner and Quentin Westberg and how they aided him in his development. Hibbert spent the latter stages of 2024 training quite a bit with the first team during their playoff run and told us about some of the things he learned alongside Westberg in his final season as a professional.
"Positioning and footwork, how to speak to elder players, and this and that, but something that stuck with me would be, always play the game," Hibbert said. "It's not when you're doing your training session, you know, touch the cone, move here, not going through the motions. Let me just touch and set. It's like you're playing the game. Imagine it's a real game. There's a cutback option. 'You have to be checking your shoulder' was huge for me. Even when I get in with the team, think about the game, what are the rules? How can I get an edge over everything? You know, always constantly thinking about how I can win. That was huge from him to me."
Hibbert also talked about his international aspirations. He spent time with the Jamaican national team program and told us that he had recently received his Canadian passport and is eligible to represent them or the U.S. or Jamaica. "It's just about continue with Atlanta, proving myself to be able to make that jump," Hibbert said.
Check out our entire conversation with Jayden Hibbert at the link below: