Atletico Ottawa Extends Walker Contract

Atletico Ottawa locked in local defender Tyr Walker to a contract extension, upgrading his U SPORTS deal to new terms that will keep him retained through to the end of the 2023 Canadian Premier League season.

The 19-year-old defender had initially signed with the club back in April after impressing in preseason, where he scored against UD San Sebastian De Los Reyes.

Hailing from Russel, Ontario, he’s had the opportunity to feature twice under Carlos Gonzalez since, making his debut against Vancouver FC before featuring against top-of-the-table Pacific FC.

Walker got his start through the St. Anthony Futuro Soccer Club – who also helped developed Antoine Coupland – before catching a few eyes in the Atletico Madrid Development program hosted in Ottawa.

Described as a rising star by the team, he’s now set to be a source of local youth minutes for the entirety of the club’s 2023 season rather than having his contract expire on August 15.

“We are determined to keep fostering the growth of local soccer talent, and Tyr is the prime example of that work,” added club CEO Fernando Lopez. “The Powered by Atletico Program was put in place to help support the development of youth players in the Ottawa and Gatineau region, before helping the best transition into a professional environment. We are delighted to see how Tyr has improved and are excited to see more local talents join him in our first team.”

The club plans for Tyr to return to local university side Carlton Ravens following his full campaign with Atletico Ottawa. We’ll check in on how that eligibility works under the terms of his new deal.