For Halifax Wanderers midfielder Giorgio Probo, the past few weeks felt a bit like a return to college life.

The club were in Norwich, UK for preseason, where they spent ten days sleeping in dorms as an opportunity to grow team unity.

For the 25-year-old Probo, it was a callback to his collegiate days with Iowa Western and the Creighton Bluejays. In Norwich, each dorm had six players, with Probo sharing his space with a group that included captain Andre Rampersad, Lorenzo Callegari, Vitor Dias, Sean Rea and Camilo Vasconcelos.

“They put all the midfielders together so we can connect,” Probo told CanPL.ca.

The trip, of course, was about more than off-season bonding, as it was a chance for the Wanderers to test themselves against some top-quality opposition in England. Halifax played friendlies against the U-21 sides of Norwich City, Ipswich Town and Fulham — showing well in all three matches. That included Probo scoring a stunning free kick against Ipswich.

“I loved it, we played some very good teams,” said Probo. “The first few games were pretty sloppy because the grass was not great. But the last game we played against Fulham I think was the closest thing to a CPL game. It was very top level, and we won. So like that gave us confidence to start the season very well.”

As the Wanderers look to rebound from a disappointing 2024 season, starting well will be a crucial factor. Halifax began last year with ten matches in all competitions without a victory. They never truly recovered, spending the entire year below the playoff line.

That stretch, however, did include a memorable moment for Probo: his first professional goal to earn the Wanderers their first point of the campaign in a 1-1 draw with Cavalry FC on May 11 in Halifax. Getting on the end of a lovely cross into the box from Dan Nimick, Probo’s flicked header sailed over Cavalry keeper Jack Barrett and into the net.

“I had never scored a header before, and I scored a header,” said Probo. “So like, very surprised. If you see the celebration it was like, ‘They don’t even realize.'”

The Italian midfielder finished his first campaign in Halifax with a respectable four goals and two assists. But especially in the latter half of the season, there was evidence that he still had a higher level to reach — especially in his playmaking ability.

Probo finished tied for seventh with Callegari in chances created, with 35, tenth in expected assists (3.45) and ninth in passes played into the box (118).

But if he wants to improve on those numbers in 2025, the first challenge for Probo is to win the fierce competition for minutes within the Wanderers’ midfield. This year, Halifax have likely the deepest group of central midfielders in the league with Isaiah Johnston and loanee Alessandro Biello joining the returning Callegari, Dias, Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé, Rea, Rampersad and Probo.

For Probo, however, this only has him more enthused about the quality of the team going into the 2025 season. He says that many different players, himself included, can play in multiple different spots across the midfield, something that will only lead to the club being more difficult to play against this coming season.

“The competition is great because there are a lot of good players,” he said. “The level of practice is higher and also having a lot of players can give you some versatility in the games and playing four times against the same team, creating different styles or having some different tweaks in the game can be helpful. And competition is good when it’s healthy. I believe it’s a healthy competition that we have in the team, I don’t feel like I’m jealous who’s playing for me, or someone’s jealous because I’m playing.”

Complementing those creative midfielders especially, Halifax have also added a lot of speed, talent and experience on the wings with the signings of Jason Bahamboula and Yohan Baï. Probo is anticipating them to add a crucial new element to the Wanderers’ attack this season.

“I think that’s going to help the team because having quality in the middle; we need to have runs off of the ball so we can play as good as we want,” he said. “I think Jason and Yohan are going to give that.”

Probo says he doesn’t expect the team’s style to change much this year from the front-footed attacking football they have played over the past few years under Patrice Gheisar.

“As everybody knows, Halifax probably play the best football in the league. But some of the time it doesn’t really matter because we don’t get points,” said Probo. “So the exciting thing is I know we don’t have to be on top every time, score a lot of goals, because our defence is improving. We’re working a lot in our defence.”

The backline is an area of the pitch where the Wanderers have done a lot of recruiting as well, bringing in veteran CPL central defender Thomas Meilleur-Giguère from Pacific, Adam Pearlman on loan from Toronto FC and goalkeeper Rayane Yesli from Atlético Ottawa.

After conceding a club record 43 goals last year, tied with Vancouver FC for the most in the league, Probo is confident that number will be significantly lower this season.

Following their preseason tests across the pond, and a strong off-season of recruitment, Probo and the Halifax Wanderers have plenty of momentum coming into 2025. As they begin their season in the nation’s capital against Atlético Ottawa on Saturday, April 5, they do so looking to demonstrate just how much deeper and dynamic they have become over the winter months.