Canadian Premier League’s ironman will be returning for the 2020 campaign.

York9 FC announced on Thursday that it has re-signed Luca Gasparotto, alongside Simon Adjei and Wataru Murofushi, as they become the latest batch of players who’ll be back next season.

Gasparotto, a 24-year-old centre-back, played every minute of all 28 regular season games in 2019 (2,520 minutes in total), dating back to the Inaugural Game versus Forge FC on April 27. He even featured in all six of York9’s Canadian Championship outings, captaining the side on occasion.

No wonder, then, that earned the nickname “ironman” on account of the amazing durability he displayed this season.

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“We’re extremely pleased to have this trio return for 2020,” York9 FC coach Jimmy Brennan said.

“Simon really came into his own in the back half of last season, and we believe he can carry that into next year. Wataru is an incredibly technically gifted player, and he’ll continue to be such an important part of our midfield setup. Luca was obviously a key part of our defence having played every match, as well a leader on the field as vice-captain.”

Adjei made history last December as the CPL’s first international signing. Having previously played under Brennan at Aurora United in League1 Ontario, the Swede arrived to score seven goals and two assists over 24 appearances for the club – eight of which as a substitute. Adjei finished in the top 10 per cent of CPLers in assists (.25), shots (3.33) and line-breaking receptions (3.25) per 90 minutes in 2019.

Murofushi joined Jimmy Brennan’s side after impressing at the GotGame Open Trials. The Japanese midfielder scored three goals for the Nine Stripes over 23 appearances in 2019 after arriving in North American after a player of the year performance in Singapore.

These latest three re-signings join fullback combo Diyaeddine Abzi and Morey Doner, Manny Aparicio and goalkeeper of the year nominee Nathan Ingham as returning players from the 2019 squad for next season.

The club also added two players at the CPL-U SPORTS Draft with the selections of Carleton University striker Stefan Karajovanovic (fifth overall) and Cape Breton midfielder Isaiah Johnston (10th overall).

Previously, Y9 cut loose six players, including defender Daniel Gogarty.