York United FC announced Thursday the club has signed Canadian defender Riley Ferrazzo, as the Nine Stripes continue their roster build ahead of the forthcoming 2025 Canadian Premier League (CPL) season.
The versatile defender, who can operate in a number of different positions, has put pen to paper on a one-year guaranteed contract, with a club option for another twelve months.
Following in the footsteps of Adonijah Reid, whose signing was announced earlier this week, 25-year-old Ferrazzo — a native of Richmond Hill, Ont. — is returning home after two seasons with the Halifax Wanderers.
Across those campaigns, Ferrazzo racked up 45 appearances in all competitions and found the net on two occasions, adding three assists too.
“It’s always been a goal of mine to play for my hometown club and now I finally get the chance,” he said.
“It’s got a sentimental aspect to it too because I’m gonna have family and friends there to support me at every game. It’s just such a great opportunity for me to come into this environment and I can’t wait to start. I’ve played at the stadium so many times in my life and every time I play there it just feels like home. It’s a new chapter but there’s still a feeling of connection and familiarity.”
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Prior to signing with Halifax, Ferrazzo spent six seasons in League1 Ontario. Starting out with the Toronto FC Academy in 2016, he accumulated close to 40 semi-pro games while still in his mid-teens and his performances at the time ensured a call-up to the Canada Under-18 squad. After another L1ON stint with Aurora FC, he moved to Vaughan Azzurri and enjoyed two campaigns there, culminating with a Premier Division title in 2022. Afterwards, Ferrazzo earned Second Team All-Stars honours and earned a first professional contract with the Wanderers soon after.
Now, he returns home and is especially excited by the possibilities ahead.
With Mauro Eustáquio named as head coach of York United back in November and a litany of returning players, optimism is high after a particularly eye-catching 2024. For Ferrazzo, it was an initial chat with Eustáquio that proved crucial in his decision to make the move and – just like many others – he feels the club is primed for a championship tilt sooner rather than later.
“Right away, from my very first conversation with Mauro, I felt his passion and ambition to build something really special here. It felt like we were really aligned,” Ferrazzo said.
“There’s no doubt that I’d like to win a championship in this league. I’d like to be a part of that. Whatever Mauro and the staff need from me, I’m here to step up and perform.”
Ferrazzo’s arrival is another piece of the jigsaw as the Nine Stripes fine-tune their squad and look to build on the success of last term. Club president Ricardo Pasquel is enthused by the off-season roster work, with a busy few weeks ahead.
“Riley fits perfectly into our plans and we’re extremely excited to have him on board,” Pasquel said.
“He’s a flexible player, with the ability to play in a number of positions. In this league especially, that’s a big plus. Also, Riley is one of our own. He’s from our community and we’re his hometown team. That’s an important part of the club DNA that we’re building here. Connection is crucial and sometimes it gives players an extra motivation when they pull on a jersey. We’re looking forward to watching him flourish.
“Everything is ramping up now as preparations for the forthcoming season get finalized. Between our returning players and the new signings we’ve confirmed, the squad is coming together very nicely.”