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Nyal Higgins

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Canadian soccer player (born 1998)

Nyal Higgins
Higgins in action during a matchHiggins in 2022 with FC Edmonton
Personal information
Full name Nyal Christian-Anthony Higgins
Date of birth (1998-01-19) January 19, 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team York United FC
Youth career
Ajax SC
Vaughan SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Oakland Golden Grizzlies 49 (4)
2019 Syracuse Orange 19 (1)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Vaughan Azzurri 5 (0)
2017 Michigan Bucks 8 (0)
2018 Vaughan Azzurri 3 (0)
2020–2021 Toronto FC II 9 (0)
2020 → Nyköpings BIS (loan) 17 (1)
2021 → Atlético Ottawa (loan) 8 (0)
2022 FC Edmonton 24 (0)
2023 Vaughan Azzurri 18 (0)
2024– York United FC 16 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 27, 2023

Nyal Christian-Anthony Higgins (born January 19, 1998) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays for York United FC in the Canadian Premier League.

College

In 2016, he attended Oakland University, playing for the Golden Grizzlies soccer team. As a freshman, he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team and the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Regional Third Team. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team. In 2019, he transferred to Syracuse University to play for the Syracuse Orange soccer team.

Club career

During the 2016 and 2018 seasons, he played with Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario. In 2017, he played with the Michigan Bucks in the Premier Development League. In 2018, he trained with three Major League Soccer clubs - Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew SC, and Nashville SC. He later trained with Toronto FC in 2019.

He was selected 19th overall by Toronto FC in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft. He attended pre-season with the club, but ultimately did not make the final roster for 2020. In July, he signed a USL contract with the second-team Toronto FC II. He was soon after sent on loan to Nyköpings BIS in the Swedish third tier, following TFC II's withdrawal from the 2020 USL League One season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He scored his first goal on November 21, in a 7-1 defeat to IF Brommapojkarna. He made his debut for Toronto FC II on May 22, 2021 against North Texas SC.

In August 2021, Higgins joined Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa on loan. He made his debut in a substitute appearance, on August 25, against Forge FC.

In February 2022, he signed a contract with FC Edmonton in the Canadian Premier League.

In 2023, he returned to Vaughan Azzurri. He was named a league Second Team All-Star at the end of the season.

In April 2024, he signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2025 with York United FC in the Canadian Premier League. He scored his first CPL goal on September 6, 2024, in a 1-0 victory over Vancouver FC. At the end of the 2024 season, the club picked up his option for 2025.

International career

He was a member of the U-18 and U-20 Canada national team talent pools.

Career statistics

As of match played on October 27, 2024
Club Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Vaughan Azzurri 2016 League1 Ontario 5 0 0 0 — ? 0 5 0
Michigan Bucks 2017 PDL 8 0 1 0 0 0 — 9 0
Vaughan Azzurri 2018 League1 Ontario 3 0 0 0 — 0 0 3 0
Toronto FC II 2021 USL League One 9 0 — — — 9 0
Nyköpings BIS (loan) 2020 Ettan Norra 17 1 — 2 0 — 19 1
Atlético Ottawa (loan) 2021 Canadian Premier League 8 0 — 0 0 — 8 0
FC Edmonton 2022 Canadian Premier League 24 0 — 1 0 — 25 0
Vaughan Azzurri 2023 League1 Ontario 18 0 2 0 1 0 — 21 0
York United FC 2024 Canadian Premier League 16 1 2 0 1 0 — 19 0
Career total 108 2 5 0 5 0 0 0 118 1

References

  1. "Nyal Higgins". Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  2. Haller, Steve (January 27, 2019). "Syracuse men's soccer welcomes three new additions for the spring semester". SBNation.
  3. Shealer, Sheldon (January 9, 2020). "Vaughan SC revels in Super day". Top Drawer Soccer.
  4. Ford, Harold C. (February 26, 2020). "Bucks' success continues into off season". East Village Magazine.
  5. Grasl, Zac (August 1, 2018). "In the spotlight- Nyal Higgins". The Oakland Post.
  6. Rea, Cormac (January 9, 2020). "Vaughan SC Makes History As Four League1 Players Selected In 2020 MLS SuperDraft". League1 Ontario.
  7. Singh, Michael (January 9, 2020). "Toronto FC selects Ajax-native Higgins, Achara in first round of 2020 MLS Draft". Waking the Red.
  8. "Toronto FC announces roster for first preseason camp". Toronto FC. January 24, 2020.
  9. "Toronto FC II Sign Nyal Higgins". Toronto FC. July 2, 2020.
  10. "Toronto FC II Loan Nyal Higgins to Nyköpings BIS". Toronto FC. August 10, 2020.
  11. "Tung förlust när Nyköping krossades av Brommapojkarna" [Heavy loss when Nyköping was crushed by Brommapojkarna]. Sport Bladet. November 21, 2020.
  12. "North Texas SC Falls 2-1 Away to Toronto FC II". FC Dallas. May 22, 2021.
  13. "Atlético Ottawa Sign Nyal Higgins, on loan". Atlético Ottawa. August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  14. "Toronto FC II loan Nyal Higgins to Atlético Ottawa". Toronto FC. August 7, 2021.
  15. O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (August 25, 2021). "Pacius scores two as Forge sails past Atlético Ottawa 4-0". Canadian Premier League.
  16. "FC Edmonton adds defender Nyal Higgins". FC Edmonton. February 25, 2022.
  17. ^ "Nyal Higgins 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  18. "MVP Tomasz Skublak leads line in star-studded XI". League1 Ontario. November 28, 2023.
  19. "York United FC announce signing of Canadian defender Nyal Higgins". York United FC. April 12, 2024.
  20. Jacques, John (April 12, 2024). "Nyal Higgins Returns To CPL, Signs With York United". Northern Tribune.
  21. Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (September 7, 2024). "Match Analysis: York United rides early Nyal Higgins goal to pivotal road win over Vancouver FC". Canadian Premier League.
  22. Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (September 9, 2024). "The Unlikely Lad: Nyal Higgins grabs first ever CPL goal in huge win in Vancouver". York United FC.
  23. "Nyal Higgins extends stay with The Nine Stripes". York United FC. December 6, 2024.
  24. "Nyal Higgins". Syracuse Orange.
  25. Nyal Higgins at Soccerway
  26. "Nyal Higgins 2016 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  27. "Michigan Bucks - Nyal Higgins". USL League Two.
  28. "Nyal Higgins 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.

External links

York United FC – current squad
2020 MLS SuperDraft first-round selections
Toronto FC first-round draft picks
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