Ignacio Maganto’s name will forever be connected to Landon Donovan and David Beckham as the Iona College senior was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy of the Major League Soccer (MLS). Maganto was the 21st player selected in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Jan. 15.

He is the first Iona player ever to be drafted to the MLS and the ninth in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) history.

As the 21st pick, Maganto was the final player selected in the first round, and the moment was surreal for him.

“It was totally an unexpected moment,” he said. “It was amazing. I was sitting there waiting for the five minute break between the first and second round, talking on the phone with friends, and then I heard my name. I could not believe it.”

The senior midfielder, known to his teammates as “Nacho,” had an incredible career as a Gael. He played in 70 games for Iona, collecting 27 goals and 14 assists and left an imprint on the Iona record books. He is fourth all-time in goals, third in points and sixth in assists.

Maganto’s resume also includes several honors. He was a three-time NSCAA All-Region selection and a four-time All-MAAC honoree. He rose to the top of the MAAC in 2014, leading the conference in points with 27. Those points came from a league-best 11 goals and five assists (which was fourth-most in the conference).

For his stellar year, the Spaniard won the 2014 MAAC Offensive Player of the Year. In addition to his accolades on the field, he was named a 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-American. He was named to the Second Team and is the first player in program history to receive this recognition.

On the field, opponents planned around him. They knew that when he was on the field they had to create a game plan to stop him; otherwise, he would impact the game in some way.

“He would do things that other guys can’t do, and it’d blow your mind,” said head coach Fernando Barboto, who spotted Maganto’s unique talent when he was recruiting him. “I don’t think we’re ever going to get a player that is going to blow you away with the things Nacho did when he was training or in a game. Nacho had something a little special.”

Maganto attracted a lot of attention with his performance at the MLS Combine on the weekend of Jan. 10 and 11. He picked up an assist off a corner kick sending a last-minute reminder to professional teams before the draft.

He was named one of the top five central midfield draft prospects by MLSSoccer.com after some of his earlier performances in the combine.

Barboto believes that Maganto’s success will draw more talented recruits to Iona.

“It shows that [Iona], being a small private school, can produce quality players,” Barboto said. “That helps recruiting…we can produce professionals.”

While Maganto will be moving on to a career as a professional soccer player, he will never forget the foundation Iona provided for him.

“I learned a lot at Iona,” he said. “Now I am a stronger player, physically and mentally. I came here as a kid, and now I have grown a lot in every sense. I give thanks to my coach Fernando and all my teammates, who have been fighting along with me throughout these four years.”

The prestigious LA Galaxy took home their fifth MLS Cup last season. The club has already made Maganto feel welcome, coming up with the nickname “Nacho Libre” for him.

“It is just awesome to be playing on the most successful MLS team and share the locker room with those amazing players,” Maganto said.