Adekugbe Inks New Deal With York United

Following Elijah Adekugbe’s impressive rise this season, the York United midfielder has been rewarded with a new one-year contract that includes a club option for 2026.

Adekugbe’s sophomore season with the Nine Stripes saw him make thirty appearances overall, good for double the amount of appearances he made last year. He was typically deployed as a defensive midfielder, but sometimes featured as centre-back under Benjamin Mora following the departure of Martin Nash.

Now he’s set for year three under a third had coach, with Mauro Eustaquio getting the call up to the hotseat.

“I’m so excited to be back and incredibly motivated to build on all of the positivity from 2024,” said Adekugbe following his new deal. “We did some good work and it’s given us a taste of what we can achieve together. This club has the potential to win a championship and everyone can see we’re on an upward trajectory. There will be bigger and better things next season and I can’t wait to get started.”

Adekugbe’s 45 appearances for York United make him the club’s fourth-highest appearance leader to have been with the team through 2023, behind Babouli, Wright, and Ferrari. This season saw him land five team of the week nods, tallying one goal and two assists.

The Calgary native had made 55 appearances for hometown side Cavalry before beginning a anew in Ontario.

“We’re all on the same page, same goal from top to bottom and wanting to be great and do great things,” Adekugbe had said of the new ownership this season. “We live by the process and not the result, and our process is to try to be the best. I have full belief that all the guys who are there with me are on that train with me. I’m grateful to be surrounded by like-minded people.”

The 2025 York United roster is expected to look significantly different than what fans saw this year, though the club confirmed yesterday that Kembo Kibato and Shola Jimoh would remain on their existing deals through the upcoming season.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques