York9 FC Signs Former TFC Winger Ryan Telfer

Canadian Premier League side York9 FC has confirmed the shock signing of former loanee Ryan Telfer, who had signed for Cyprus side Nea Salamis Famagusta FC back in late January.

While the club had confirmed that it would be announcing a domestic signing today, few would have predicted it would come in the form of one of the club’s most successful athletes from the 2019 season.

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— York9 FC (@York9FC) June 3, 2020

Telfer had a breakout season for the Nine Stripes in 2019, contributing ten goals and two assists across the season. It took him just three minutes to score the league’s first-ever goal, with the then-TFC loanee also scoring against the Montreal Impact in the Voyageurs Cup. The consistent performances led to both a call-up to the Trinidad and Tobago national team and an emergency loan recall to Toronto FC, where he contributed an assist in just a few minutes on the pitch.

Telfer has gone on to make six international appearances for the The Soca Warriors, scoring his first international goal against Martinique back in September.

Prior last season, Telfer had made fifteen appearances for MLS side Toronto FC after breaking through from TFC II. Known for his speed on the wing and ability to get the ball into dangerous sports, the former York Lions winger – who had also played for the Vaughan Azzurri – is yet another former League1 Ontario player who has proven his worth at the professional level.

It goes without saying that Club President Angus McNab is understandably excited to bring in a high-profile attacking option following the sale of Emilio Estevez:

We are delighted to welcome Ryan back to the club. We have had to be a little patient to get this deal completed, but now that it is, we’re all looking forward to the prospect of him rejoining the group. To be able to add a player of Ryan’s calibre to our attacking options only enhances how competitive we expect to be when we resume. He will always be a hugely important figure for both York9 FC and the CPL after scoring such significant firsts. After the sale of Emilio, it was important to ensure we brought in a top-quality replacement, and with Ryan, we have done that.

Angus McNab

When York9’s 2019 season came to end, club gaffer Jim Brennan made it no secret that he’d love to keep Ryan Telfer on the squad pending what happened with his parent club. Toronto FC ultimately waived the 26-year-old in November, with Telfer opting to sign for Nea Salamis Famagusta FC two months later.

It’s not known if the coronavirus pandemic is the reason Telfer’s move to Cyprus was nixed entirely or not, but Canadian Premier League fans will be happy to see one of the league’s most exciting players return to the fold. The MLS Players Union showed that Telfer had a salary of 70,250 USD in 2019, which means the player likely took a significant paycut to rejoin a full Nine Stripes roster this season.

York has always been a second home to me and it feels good to be back. To the fans and club, I’ve got unfinished business here.

Ryan Telfer

As things stand, the league appears to have turned its 25% player salary deferral into an official 25% salary paycut, with rumours indicating a further 5% of player salaries may be contributing to a prize pool for the top clubs of the 2020 season.

York9 FC has now signed 22 players for the upcoming season, though four of the club’s internationals are currently stuck outside of Canada. New Club President Angus McNab has helped the side sign a flurry of new players ranging from local talents Michael Petrasso and Chris Mannella to high pedigree internationals like Gabriel Vasconcelos (Corinthians) and Adrian Ugarriza (Alianza Lima), though it’s unclear if the latter will be able to travel to Canada anytime soon.

Telfer is expected to join the Canadian Premier League side as it returns to training on a voluntary basis this morning. Half of the league’s eight clubs have now resumed training as the league works on figuring out a way to deliver a shortened, modified 2020 season that is expected to be hosted by a single province. At the moment, it looks like either BC or PEI will be hosting the season.

York9 FC did not disclose the financial details of Ryan Telfer’s contract with the club, nor did it reveal the length of his contract.