National Men’s Under 20 defender Damani Richards arrived in Philadelphia on Wednesday to join American Major League Soccer club Philadelphia Union on a one-year contract ahead of the upcoming MLS season.
Richards, a member of the T&T Under 20 team which participated in the Caribbean zone of the Youth World Cup qualifiers last year, was on a 10-day trial at Union in October and played in a Reserve game against DC United.
US-based FIFA player agent Andre Fortune, who took midfielder Keon Daniel to Philadelphia, disclosed that Richards will join the team for the upcoming season on the one year deal with the option for a further two years.
Richards expressed gratitude to his former club W Connection as well as national under 17 and under 20 team coaches and TTFF technical director Anton Corneal for their support.
"I am very thankful for my time with W-Connection and the platform that they provided me. I would also like to express my appreciation to the TTFF and the coaches who worked with me including Mr Anton Corneal, the technical director for the opportunity and the privilege that I had to represent my country at the international level.
I am looking forward to making full use of this opportunity and better my understanding of the game and my readiness for a higher level on the international stage,” Richards told TTFF Media.
The 18-year-old from Cocorite is a former Trinity College student also a past National Under 17 player. The Union kicks off their MLS season on March 2 against Sporting Kansas City.