Eikon Sports athlete Jordan Wilson has joined York9 in the Canadian Premier League! Here’s everything you need to know about the Canadian midfielder:

Put your body on the line in the key moments – that’s what you’re taught as a defensive player learning the game. If an opponent is taking a shot, do everything you can to put yourself between the ball and your goalkeeper. Or if they take a loose touch, do everything you can to make them pay for it. New York9 midfielder Jordan Wilson took this key principle and built his game around it.

You’ll see what I mean next spring when Wilson takes the pitch with Jimmy Brennan’s York9 team. They finished 5th in the opening stage of the CanPL Island Games, failing to grab a spot in the 2nd round – something most people predicted they would achieve. The tenacious Jordan Wilson, who is a defensive midfielder but can also play as a centre-back if needed, is a ‘leave everything on the pitch’ type of player, regardless of whether the match is a friendly or a cup final.

Now, the Canadian midfielder gets the chance to play professionally in his home country for the first time, as he becomes a key, experienced piece in a new-look York9 side. Wilson brings a lot to the team, but I think that much would be obvious to anyone doing a quick background check on his career. With over 100 appearances in the NordicBet Liga, the 2nd division of Danish football, Wilson has a wealth of experience at a strong level, becoming a fan favourite and even winning Nykøbing’s fans player of the year award in 2017 for his efforts in midfield.

He is very much a defensive-minded player who does everything in his power to win the ball back for his team, but you’ll also see Wilson contribute with the ball, capable of evading pressure in midfield and spraying passes to the full-backs and forwards.

Born in Mississauga, Ontario 29 years ago this week, Wilson had quite a unique path towards professional football, only beginning his professional career at age 24, but I’ll let him explain that to you below!

I briefly caught up with Jordan Wilson this week to ask him a few questions on his career and his move to York9:

How do you describe yourself as a player?

“I’m a rattler! I break up play and I love a tackle. I’m good in the air and I’m a ball-winner, but I also like to set people up and can play long passes. As a player, I’m always hard-working, vocal, and passionate.”

What sort of mark do you think you left on Nykøbing and their fans?

“I think in my own right, without being too arrogant, I definitely left a positive impression at Nykøbing. Some even call me a legend and I know I will always be welcomed back there. It’s a place where the fans saw me grow and they really liked me because I’m always smiling, always positive. I also played different, because I’m more robust than what they’re used to. I wear my heart on my sleeve, I’m not afraid to bleed, I would die on the pitch. They like that I’m a warrior, they even called me the Canadian warrior on the pitch but light and playful off the pitch. So yeah, I think I left a positive impact.”

Why did you decide to move to York9 and the Canadian Premier League in general?

“Besides the obvious of wanting to come home to be with my family and play the sport I love, I also wanted to give my last years of football to the country that made me who I am. Obviously, 5 years ago I didn’t have the option to play in Canada but now that there is, I would love to help build the league up. I want to be a part of getting people to games, signing autographs, being a role model for kids. Just creating a football culture, because there are a lot of football fans in Canada and the GTA in particular, but the avenues to which we could excel the game forward are still behind. So I’m excited to be a part of a league that can help football culture grow, and just have kids that look up to professionals and think that someday maybe they’d want to be it. Some people bring up MLS and their academies, but that’s an American league, the Canadian Premier League is ours, this is homegrown. There will be kids that will be watching me with York9 and thinking ‘Jordan Wilson is from Mississauga and grew up playing at the soccer centre!’. So yeah, it’s just a great time for me to move back and it’s a positive and I wanted to spend the last 5, 6, 7 years of my career playing in Canada!”

What’s one thing you’d want people around the Canadian Premier League to know about you?

“That I’ll keep coming back! If you beat me, if you beat York9, I will come back. I will be diligent and steadfast in coming back, with more energy! That’s on the pitch though. Off the pitch, I want people to know that I’m ultra opposite to what I am on the pitch though! I’m very chill, and I just want to have a good time and I’m nice to everyone. But on the pitch, I want to win, and I’m very serious.”

Tell me a bit about your career path up until Nykøbing. I couldn’t find much online!

“Club football was Erin Mills Soccer Club in Mississauga from age 12 to 17. Then I went to school at Cornerstone University, which is a small NAIA school in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In the summer I was part of a travel team called Bridges FC which is based in Chicago, and after that I trialed with Nykøbing and the rest is history!”

So, as you can see, there might not be a cooler cat in the Canadian Premier League than Jordan Wilson. The Nykøbing legend is a calm, relaxed presence off the pitch, but the complete opposite for 90 minutes on the pitch. Truthfully, York9 have added many qualities to their team with this one signing alone: leadership, experience, tenacity, drive, passion, and much more.

NEXT: Austin Ricci shines in a unique way at the CanPL Island Games

Don’t worry, you’ll see all of this next year when Wilson takes part in the CanPL’s third season with York9, hopefully with the presence of some fans cheering him on from the stands.