York United Signs Former Forge Man Jonathan Grant

The 905 Battle lines are being crossed for a third time.

York United has announced the signing of former Forge player Jonathan Grant following a multi-week trial with the club. The defender arrives on a one-year deal.

We learned that Grant was in serious consideration for a roster spot after he was spotted training with the team over a month ago, with the three-time CPL champion evidently impressing Martin Nash and the coaching staff at York United.

Grant and the Nine Stripes are currently in Houston for a preseason match against the Dynamo 2, having already bested CF Montreal Academy at home with a draw to Penn State University following that.

The 29-year-old spent arrives to York Lions Stadium after four seasons in the hammer, where he where he picked up three title wins with Forge. Through 55 appearances in orange, Grant showcased himself to be a versatile player in both domestic league and cup play, along with some high-profile continental action, too.

Grant missed segments of each season through injury, with his final season in orange seeing him accrue just 77 minutes of game time. A fresh start was needed, and York United looks to be the spot to make that happen.

It’s unclear where Grant will ultimately be deployed: a versatile athlete, he’s featured just about everywhere for Forge, including as a centre-back, right-back, and even as a left-sided attacker.

At York, he’ll be suiting up as both a centre-back and a right-back, primarily.

“We all have a lot of respect for the way Johnny has gone about his business and made this roster,” said Club President Angus McNab says. “He’s a three-time CPL champion and he’s been willing to work, prove his fitness and earn a spot. The experience he brings to the group is really helpful and we feel that he can contribute at both right back and centre-back for us, even though it’s probably going back to his days in Kansas City since he played frequently in the middle.”

Grant becomes the third CPL athlete to cross 905 battle lines, with Jace Kotsopoulos being the first to do so and Molham Babouli the second.

Grant is also in contention for a call up to Guyana, too.