Wanderers Sign Stewart-Baynes, Schilte-Brown to Dev Deals

Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar – who has a reputation for scoping out young talent – is bringing in two youngsters on U-18 Canadian Development contracts.

Forward Kimani Stewart-Baynes (18) and defender Ethan Schilte-Brown (17) have signed on with the team after impressing the first team gaffer during preseason camp.

The league’s roster rules allow clubs to sign up to four U-18 players (defined as Born January 1, 2005 or later) on development permits who can appear in up to six matches apiece in a season.

18-year-old forward Kimani Stewart-Baynes is the latest of a growing number of links between Halifax Wanderers and Vaughan Azzurri, where he featured for the club’s U-19 team and scored 17 goals in 14 appearances. The teenage forward was born in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and arrives as depth forward talent to the east coast team.

“Kimani has a bright future ahead and is coming off of an intense recruiting process,” says Gheisar. “We’re excited to help prepare him for those next steps,” Gheisar said. “We’re mindful of his age, but he plays well above it, possessing high-end dribbling, athleticism and technical ability.”

While only 17 years of age, defender Ethan Schilte-Brown already stands at an imposing six-foot-three. The youngster recently underwent training spells in England and Scotland, including a recent stint with the Kilmarnock reserves.

“Ethan is a strong young player that has already spent time away from home and showed us great work ethic since coming into training camp,” Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar said. “He’s composed on the ball and fits our system with qualities that will continue to develop for years to come.”

The young defender was born in Virgiani and raised in Florida, but has Canadian roots through his Haligonian mother who had played professional football and, currently, is the head coach of the University of South Florida women’s soccer team.

“We are delighted to welcome Ethan and Kimani to the Wanderers,” concluded sporting director Matt Fegan. “They are both young Canadian players with bright futures who our coaching staff have had a chance to evaluate in first-team and development team training camps over the past few weeks. They’ve shown they can contribute to the high level of competition within the squad and will equally benefit from the time developing around our first team.”

With Patrice Gheisar expecting to radically change the style in which the club plays on the pitch, it’ll be interesting to see if the two teenage signings fit in and get their first professional minutes out east.

The two also become the first confirmed developmental signings announced in the 2023 Canadian Premier League season.