Halifax Wanderers Sign Jamaican International Alex Marshall To Multi-Year Deal

Nearly one month after we reported that Jamaican international Alex Marshall was en route to the Halifax Wanderers, the east coast club has now made things official.

Today, the Canadian Premier League side has announced that the 21-year-old attacking midfielder has been signed to a multi-year deal.

Born and raised in Kingston, Marshall has played for Red Stripe Premier League side Cavalier FC since 2016, making his debut for the side at the age of 16. Over the next four years, he’s contributed 21 goals across 73 appearances for his local team. His form earned him a called up to the Jamaican senior side in 2017, and he’s gone on to make eleven appearances for the Raggae Boyz since that time.

Marshall has been seeking out a move overseas in recent times, and it’s no surprise to see a side like the Halifax Wanderers take a chance on a young Jamaican international with a high ceiling and a lot to prove.

Like many other players this year, Marshall has seen footage of the atmosphere at Wanderers Grounds that has left him excited for the opportunity to play in downtown Halifax’s sell-out stadium:

I’m excited, I’ve watched videos and seen the pitch in Halifax and it’s a really good environment and a really good team. I’m going to give everything and fight and try to get the best results for the team. I’m going to try to put on a good show every day for the fans and take on players and try to score goals and get assists and that’s an attackers job.

Alex Marshall

While the 2019 season saw Hart adapt to a philosophy he felt would best serve the team, his own preferences in mentality and tactics will be much more on display this year. To that end, fans can expect more expressive, attacking football – and with players like Alessandro Riggi and Louis Beland-Goyette arriving, it’s fair to say that fans attending Wanderers Grounds ought to expect some great goals to come in 2020.

I’m just going to work hard and try to play my best and be creative. I like to play passes that most people don’t see.

Alex Marshall

While the side has begun earning a reputation for signing players from Quebec this offseason, Hart’s first season saw the side sign plenty of Caribbean players, too. With the likes of Andre Rampersad and Akeem Garcia now re-signed for 2020, Marshall believes the common geographical background will help him adapt in the upcoming season.

That will help because we will have a lot in common being from the Caribbean. I’m just going to work hard and try to play my best and be creative. I like to play passes that most people don’t see.

Alex Marshall

While Marshall is a natural winger capable of playing on either side of the pitch, Hart has revealed that the youngster offers other options, too: he might be deployed as Number Ten on occasion, or even as a striker.

He is the type of player that can make things happen when all things are equal, he is a good dribbler and he also has an eye for that final pass. I think he has a lot of qualities and he looks to be somebody who enjoys playing football.

Stephen Hart

The club has stated that there was interest in Marshall from other clubs, but Halifax was an ideal destination as it would give him plenty of first team action that he may not get elsewhere. Much like the likes of Tristan Borges or Ryan Telfer, giving him that time to shine may result in an explosive figure in the league.

Whether Marshall uses the club as a stepping stone to higher levels or not, signing him to a multi-year deal means any transfers in the near future will see the Wanderers collect a transfer fee for the 21-year-old, just like the club may do if Aboubacar Sissoko signs for the Vancouver Whitecaps following his trial period with the MLS side.

The Halifax Wanderers are in the midst of a significant squad rebuild after cutting no less than sixteen players from its inaugural roster. With players like Daniel Kinumbe, Alessandro Riggi, and Louis Beland-Goyette all arriving with the Jamaican international, it looks like Club President Derek Martin was quite truthful when he said fans can expect higher pedigree signings for the 2020 season.

The specific contract length or financial compensation for Alex Marshall was not disclosed by the club.