York9 FC announced on Wednesday it has signed former Toronto FC Academy defender Ryan Lindsay on a deal through the 2022 CPL season, with an option for 2023.

Lindsay, a 18-year-old native of Ottawa, returns to Ontario after a stint with Croatian powerhouse Dynamo Zagreb earlier this year, slotting into their under-19 team as the club’s first-ever Canadian signing.

Lindsay, who can play as a centre back or defensive midfielder, was set to join Slovakian club FK Pohronie this August on his first professional contract before restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans.

“Ryan is a player who’s had a fairly strange start to his professional career,” York9 FC managing consultant Angus McNab said in a media release. “COVID-19 created havoc with his plans and he’s another example of a player I’m not sure we’d get if the situation wasn’t so inexplicable.

“His game footage from his time in Europe was impressive and we were able to see some really positive traits: how he plays the ball from the back with such confidence, adjusts then opens his body with his first touch and wants to always progress the ball forward.”

Lindsay was drawn to York9 by the club’s ambitions, along with knowing Ijah Halley from their days with the TFC Academy.

“After speaking with them and hearing about their plans and ambitions, it was easy for me to see that this was the right move,” Lindsay said in a media release.

“It’s an exciting young team that plays an attractive brand of football that suits me. I also think that the CPL is a great platform for a young player with my profile which is important to me.”

Lindsay is York9’s fifth confirmed signing for 2020, joining fellow newcomers Julian Ulbricht and Mateo Hernández, and returnees Michael Petrasso and Alvaro Rivero.