Jan. 10 (UPI) -- David Beckham's new club Inter Miami CF has selected Clemson star Robbie Robinson with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.
Inter Miami also selected Georgetown midfielder Dylan Nealis with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft on Thursday.
"It felt great," Robinson said. "I've been working my whole life to get to a position where I can join a team that is as good as Inter Miami will be. We have a great future ahead and I love where it's starting at. I can't wait to be a part of it."
Robinson won the 2019 MAC Hermann Trophy, an honor given to the top college soccer player in the United States. The 21-year-old striker scored 18 goals and had nine assists in 19 games in 2019. Robinson, listed at 6-foot-2, finished his Clemson career with 24 goals and 10 assists in 34 appearances.
"It's a very exciting year for us," Beckham said during a Skype call with Robinson. "We are excited for you to bring your skills to our city. It's an exciting time for us."
Nashville SC selected Indiana defender Jack Maher with the No. 2 overall pick; Vancouver Whitecaps FC picked Syracuse midfielder Ryan Raposo at No. 4; and Orlando City SC drafted Virginia forward Daryl Dike with the fifth selection.
Nealis, 22, won the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's College Cup with Georgetown and has two brothers with MLS experience. Jimmy Nealis was selected by the Houston Dynamo in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft and Sean Nealis was drafted by the New York Red Bulls a year ago. A 5-foot-11 defender, Dylan Nealis was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy and a two-time Big East Soccer Defender of the Year.
"I've been dreaming of this day since I was a little kid," he said. "I remember sitting on my couch watching my brother [Jimmy] get drafted and then last year Sean getting drafted by Red Bulls. I couldn't be happier, especially to fall to a great team in Inter Miami.
"I'm very excited to head down there. It's a dream come true today and I'm glad I had my family and friends here to witness it."
Inter Miami also had the fourth overall pick in Thursday's draft, but traded it to FC Dallas for the college protected list rights to goalkeeper Dylan Castanheira. Inter Miami previously traded their second round pick to the San Jose Earthquakes for the rights to goalie Drake Callender. Beckham's team traded their third round pick to FC Cincinnati as part of a trade that acquired midfielder Victor Ulloa.
Inter Miami begins their inaugural season March 1 against LAFC in Los Angeles.
