FC Tucson have officially signed attacker Darius Lewis. Lewis, 20, is a Trinidad and Tobago Senior National Team player and joins the club following one season with Europa League club, Kí Klaksvík of the Faroe Islands Premier League.
“I am excited to welcome Darius to the club. He will provide us with another attacking option for the remainder of the year,” said FC Tucson Head Coach John Galas. “He comes from a great youth set up with the Philadelphia Union Academy and has had some professional experience playing in the top division in the Faroe Islands. He is a quick, dynamic, explosive, and technical player. He is a welcomed addition to the club.”
Lewis began his professional career in January 2019, following a youth career with the Philadelphia Union Academy. As a youth player of the Philadelphia Union Academy, the St. Lucie, Florida native scored 21 goals over three seasons of play for the U17 and U19 age groups.
American-born-Trinidadian by way of parents from Trinidad and Tobago, Lewis received his Trinidad citizenship in 2018. The forward made his debut for the Soca Warriors Senior Team on November 10, 2019, scoring two goals in a 15–0 victory over Anguilla. Lewis becomes the second Trinidad and Tobago international to join the professional ranks of the Men In Black.
“The guys have taken me in as one of their own and I’ve been friendly with most of them. A couple of the guys have been mentoring me while I’m here so I’m grateful for that. It’s a really nice group of guys. We train hard and we fight hard,” said Lewis.
Following his signing, Lewis made his first appearance with FC Tucson on September 5th, 2020 in the club’s 2-2 draw vs. Richmond Kickers. The forward entered the match in the 89th minute and completed all three of his attempted passes.
“It felt good to get back out there even in those circumstances. But I’m grateful to be out there again. It’s my second professional team at 20 years old, and I’m just blessed to be able to be playing this game as a living,” said Lewis. “Few people in the world can say that. I’m grateful to just get back going, get back training. Playing this game was very emotional for me inside.”
Lewis and FC Tucson’s second match of their three-game home stretch is set for Saturday, September 12 at 7:30 pm PST against the 2019 USL League One Champions North Texas SC. The club will host a Drive-In Watch Party at El Toro Flicks Carpool Cinema in Downtown Tucson, inviting fans to support from the comfort of their vehicle. Tickets are available at https://www.fctucson.com/promotions.
SOURCE: fctucson.com