Expansion Atletico Ottawa adds international talent from Jamaica and England

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This article was published 26/03/2020 (2384 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA – Expansion Atletico Ottawa’s roster reached double figures Thursday with the signing of Jamaican international midfielder Tevin Shaw.

The 23-year-old Shaw is the Canadian Premier League team’s second international signing after Englishman Vashon Neufville, who joined on Tuesday.

Shaw has played his entire club career in Jamaica to date, most recently with powerful Portmore United. He made 21 appearances for Portmore this season until the league was suspended earlier this month due to COVID-19.

He has also played for Jamaica’s Tivoli Gardens and Boys’ Town.

“He is a very skilled defensive midfielder that will bring to the team a wide range of possibilities,” Atletico Ottawa CEO Fernando Lopez said in a statement. “He is able to high- pressure opponents, make smart tackles, recover balls and move the team sideline to sideline with quality and precise crossings.”

The 20-year-old Neufville is a left fullback from West Ham’s famed academy, which has produced the likes of Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe and Michael Carrick.

“He is a very disciplined player with a defensive/offensive profile that will cover long spaces close to the sidelines,” Lopez said.

Neufville started in Chelsea’s youth system before moving to West Ham, where he signed his first pro contract in 2016 as a 17-year-old.

Most recently, he was on loan at League Two’s Newport County. Neufville made nine appearances for England at the U-16 and U-17 levels.

The CPL’s second season was slated to start April 11 but kickoff has been delayed indefinitely by the virus pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2020.