Wiki Article

Nyal Higgins

Nguồn dữ liệu từ Wikipedia, hiển thị bởi DefZone.Net

Nyal Higgins
Higgins in action during a match
Higgins in 2022 with FC Edmonton
Personal information
Full name Nyal Christian-Anthony Higgins
Date of birth (1998-01-19) January 19, 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position Centre-back
Youth career
Ajax SC
Vaughan SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Oakland Golden Grizzlies 49 (4)
2019 Syracuse Orange 19 (1)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016 Vaughan Azzurri 5 (0)
2017 Michigan Bucks 8 (0)
2018 Vaughan Azzurri 3 (0)
2020–2021 Toronto FC II 9 (0)
2020Nyköpings BIS (loan) 17 (1)
2021Atlético Ottawa (loan) 8 (0)
2022 FC Edmonton 24 (0)
2023 Vaughan Azzurri 18 (0)
2024–2025 York United FC 32 (1)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 27, 2025

Nyal Christian-Anthony Higgins (born January 19, 1998) is a Canadian professional soccer player. He plays as a centre-back.

College

[edit]

In 2016, he attended Oakland University, playing for the Golden Grizzlies soccer team. As a freshman, he was named to the Horizon League All-Freshman Team and the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Regional Third Team. In his sophomore and junior seasons, he was named to the All-Horizon League Second Team.[1] In 2019, he transferred to Syracuse University to play for the Syracuse Orange soccer team.[2]

Club career

[edit]

During the 2016 and 2018 seasons, he played with Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario.[3] In 2017, he played with the Michigan Bucks in the Premier Development League.[4] In 2018, he trained with three Major League Soccer clubs - Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew SC, and Nashville SC.[5] He later trained with Toronto FC in 2019.[6]

He was selected 19th overall by Toronto FC in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.[7] He attended pre-season with the club, but ultimately did not make the final roster for 2020.[8] In July, he signed a USL contract with the second-team Toronto FC II.[9] He was soon after sent on loan to Nyköpings BIS in the Swedish third tier, following TFC II's withdrawal from the 2020 USL League One season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] He scored his first goal on November 21, in a 7-1 defeat to IF Brommapojkarna.[11] He made his debut for Toronto FC II on May 22, 2021 against North Texas SC.[12]

In August 2021, Higgins joined Canadian Premier League side Atlético Ottawa on loan.[13][14] He made his debut in a substitute appearance, on August 25, against Forge FC.[15]

In February 2022, he signed a contract with FC Edmonton in the Canadian Premier League.[16]

In 2023, he returned to Vaughan Azzurri.[17] He was named a league Second Team All-Star at the end of the season.[18]

In April 2024, he signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2025 with York United FC in the Canadian Premier League.[19][20] He scored his first CPL goal on September 6, 2024, in a 1-0 victory over Vancouver FC.[21][22] At the end of the 2024 season, the club picked up his option for 2025.[23]

International career

[edit]

He was a member of the U-18 and U-20 Canada national team talent pools.[24]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played on October 27, 2025[25]
Club Season League Playoffs Domestic Cup League Cup Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Vaughan Azzurri[26] 2016 League1 Ontario 5 0 0 0 ? 0 5 0
Michigan Bucks[27] 2017 PDL 8 0 1 0 0 0 9 0
Vaughan Azzurri[28] 2018 League1 Ontario 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Toronto FC II 2021 USL League One 9 0 9 0
Nyköpings BIS (loan) 2020 Ettan Norra 17 1 2 0 19 1
Atlético Ottawa (loan) 2021 Canadian Premier League 8 0 0 0 8 0
FC Edmonton 2022 Canadian Premier League 24 0 1 0 25 0
Vaughan Azzurri 2023[17] League1 Ontario 18 0 2 0 1 0 21 0
York United FC 2024 Canadian Premier League 16 1 2 0 1 0 19 0
2025 16 0 0 0 2 0 18 0
Total 32 1 2 0 3 0 0 0 37 1
Career total 124 2 5 0 7 0 0 0 136 1

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Nyal Higgins". Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
  2. ^ Haller, Steve (January 27, 2019). "Syracuse men's soccer welcomes three new additions for the spring semester". SBNation.
  3. ^ Shealer, Sheldon (January 9, 2020). "Vaughan SC revels in Super day". Top Drawer Soccer.
  4. ^ Ford, Harold C. (February 26, 2020). "Bucks' success continues into off season". East Village Magazine.
  5. ^ Grasl, Zac (August 1, 2018). "In the spotlight- Nyal Higgins". The Oakland Post.
  6. ^ Rea, Cormac (January 9, 2020). "Vaughan SC Makes History As Four League1 Players Selected In 2020 MLS SuperDraft". League1 Ontario.
  7. ^ Singh, Michael (January 9, 2020). "Toronto FC selects Ajax-native Higgins, Achara in first round of 2020 MLS Draft". Waking the Red.
  8. ^ "Toronto FC announces roster for first preseason camp". Toronto FC. January 24, 2020.
  9. ^ "Toronto FC II Sign Nyal Higgins". Toronto FC. July 2, 2020.
  10. ^ "Toronto FC II Loan Nyal Higgins to Nyköpings BIS". Toronto FC. August 10, 2020.
  11. ^ "Tung förlust när Nyköping krossades av Brommapojkarna" [Heavy loss when Nyköping was crushed by Brommapojkarna]. Sport Bladet. November 21, 2020.
  12. ^ "North Texas SC Falls 2-1 Away to Toronto FC II". FC Dallas. May 22, 2021.
  13. ^ "Atlético Ottawa Sign Nyal Higgins, on loan". Atlético Ottawa. August 7, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  14. ^ "Toronto FC II loan Nyal Higgins to Atlético Ottawa". Toronto FC. August 7, 2021.
  15. ^ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (August 25, 2021). "Pacius scores two as Forge sails past Atlético Ottawa 4-0". Canadian Premier League.
  16. ^ "FC Edmonton adds defender Nyal Higgins". FC Edmonton. February 25, 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Nyal Higgins 2023 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  18. ^ "MVP Tomasz Skublak leads line in star-studded XI". League1 Ontario. November 28, 2023.
  19. ^ "York United FC announce signing of Canadian defender Nyal Higgins". York United FC. April 12, 2024.
  20. ^ Jacques, John (April 12, 2024). "Nyal Higgins Returns To CPL, Signs With York United". Northern Tribune.
  21. ^ Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (September 7, 2024). "Match Analysis: York United rides early Nyal Higgins goal to pivotal road win over Vancouver FC". Canadian Premier League.
  22. ^ Gangué-Ruzic, Alexandre (September 9, 2024). "The Unlikely Lad: Nyal Higgins grabs first ever CPL goal in huge win in Vancouver". York United FC.
  23. ^ "Nyal Higgins extends stay with The Nine Stripes". York United FC. December 6, 2024.
  24. ^ "Nyal Higgins". Syracuse Orange.
  25. ^ Nyal Higgins at Soccerway
  26. ^ "Nyal Higgins 2016 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
  27. ^ "Michigan Bucks - Nyal Higgins". USL League Two.
  28. ^ "Nyal Higgins 2018 L1O Stats". League1 Ontario.
[edit]