Nottingham Forest have completed the signing of Toronto FC and Canada full-back Richie Laryea on a permanent transfer.
Laryea, who turned 27 on Friday, will now get to live out his self-confessed dream to play in Europe.
The player started his senior career with Orlando City after being picked in the first round of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. He then moved on to home city Toronto in 2019 and is believed to have rejected a new contract that would have made him the highest-paid full-back in the league in order to make the switch to Forest this month.
“It feels amazing to be here. It’s been nothing but positivity since I stepped foot in the building and I hope to keep it that way,” Laryea told his new club’s official website.
“When you visit the stadium, you can see the history straight away. You can see that this is what English football is all about and this is what I’ve seen growing up as a kid, so it’s a great feeling to be here. There are a lot of games in the Championship and it’s a high tempo division which excites me.
“I’m ready to get to work and ready to play at The City Ground and see close to 30,000 fans here. I’m willing to give my all for my teammates and the club.”
Laryea joins a Forest side that started the season disastrously but has since risen into the top half of the table under the guidance of new boss Steve Cooper, who was appointed in September.
Just over hallway through the season, the club sits six points off the Championship playoffs as they seek to return to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.
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This article was originally published on 90min as Toronto FC full-back Richie Laryea joins Nottingham Forest.
Source: www.90min.com