Cavalry FC announces 1st player signings
Midfielders Nik Ledgerwood and Sergio Camargo will suit up for Calgary in Canadian Premier League
Calgary's professional soccer team, Cavalry FC, announced its first two player signings on Thursday: midfielders Nik Ledgerwood and Sergio Camargo.
Born in Lethbridge, Ledgerwood earned his 50th cap for the Canadian national team in 2017 and was captain of the Calgary Foothills FC last season in the Premier Development League.
He played one season for the Calgary Storm, in 2002, then headed to Germany, where he played professionally for 12 years. Ledgerwood then returned to Canada, suiting up for FC Edmonton in the North American Soccer League for two seasons before joining Foothills FC.
"As a player that started his professional career here in Calgary, it seems poetic that he returns for the next chapter of his career," Tommy Wheeldon Jr., head coach and general manager of Cavalry FC, said in a statement.
"Nik adds immediate quality and international pedigree not only to our team, but to the league itself. He is a very clever player with a wealth of experience, whose leadership qualities will be the cornerstone of the culture we are building."
Camargo is a Colombian-born, Canadian player who started his career with Toronto FC in 2017. He debuted for the Canadian U-17 national team at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2011 and also played for Foothills FC last season.
"Sergio is an exciting, attacking midfielder and the type of player we don't have too many of here in Canada," said Wheeldon.
"We are delighted to have Sergio join us as one of the first ever Cavalry FC players, as not only is he a player of huge potential but also of outstanding character. I am confident that he is a player that will excite the fans and make his teammates happy he is on their side."
Cavalry FC is set to kick off its inaugural season in the Canadian Premier League in April and will play home games at Spruce Meadows.
For Ledgerwood, the biggest bonus to a Canadian pro soccer league starting up will be the increased opportunities for youth players.
"Younger kids can now aspire to play for their local city," he said. "There's now a clear pathway for these kids growing up, to aspire to be the next Sergio or the next Nik Ledgerwood. They can see it live instead of having to watch it on TV and hope to go overseas one day."
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With files from Kate Adach