Winnipeg striker signs young talent deal with Halifax of CPL

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This article was published 03/06/2024 (851 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg product and teen soccer sensation Tavio Ciccarelli is returning to Canadian turf and hopes to make his mark in the Canadian Premier League sooner rather than later.

Ciccarelli, who honed his skills with the Bonivital Soccer Club from 2014-18, has signed an Exceptional Young Talent contract with the Halifax Wanderers pro squad.

The designation allows CPL squads to sign up to two U18 domestic players to join their 23-player roster. The player is eligible to remain in the category up to, and including, the year he turns 21.

Ciccarelli, still just 17 and already recognized as a dynamic striker, has inked a three-year deal (2024-26), with a club option for 2027.

“I’m really pleased to be joining the Wanderers,” Ciccarelli said Monday. “From what I’ve seen so far, (Halifax offers) good stature for young players like myself, and I feel like it’s the right next step in my career to develop.”

Ciccarelli should join the team later this month or early July — once his international transfer has been approved — and will have the opportunity participate in Wanderers training sessions.

He spent the last two years in England developing his game with Sheffield United U18 and U21 teams and recently competed for Canada at the U20 CONCACAF Championship qualifiers in Trinidad and Tobago.

At that tournament, he scored three times and assisted on a fourth goal in a 4-0 victory over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Could he be in the Wanderers’ lineup later this summer?

“We’ve always been a club that has been willing to play Canadian under-21s,” said Halifax sporting director Matt Fegan. “And we’ve had players this year who were the same age as him. I wouldn’t say he’s too young to be involved at this point.”

Ciccarelli, who lived in Winnipeg for 11 years, is excited by the prospect of playing in Canada.

“It’s always got a place in my heart,” he said. “I’ll definitely bring hard work. I’ll do anything for my players, I’ll work hard. And on the football side of stuff, I can definitely score goals, and I can take my man on and create plays.”

A date to mark on his calendar is Saturday, Aug. 17 when the Wanderers visit Winnipeg to take on Valour FC — although there’s no telling if he’d even make the trip.

The Wanderers are clearly high on the prospect.

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“There’s obviously a talent that attracted us to him when he became available,” said Fegan. “We spent extensive time meeting with him and talking with him about opportunities for development in Halifax and came across a lot about his character, his drive.”

“His professionalism was really high level for a player of his age.”

For Ciccarelli, soccer is a major part of his life, but when he’s not training or playing, spending time with his family is a priority, he said.

“They’ve sacrificed a lot for me in my career. So, giving back to them, spending time with them,” said Ciccarelli, who has family in Manitoba and abroad. “My loved ones are the main one because of how much they’ve done for me over the years.”

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