Nottingham Forest have signed Canadian footballer Richie Laryea on a three-and-half-year deal, as per The Athletic.
The 27-year-old began his senior career with Orlando City after being drafted in the first round of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.
He made 21 appearances for the Lions before joining Toronto in 2019.
The right-back clocked up 83 appearances across all competitions for the MLS side, scoring nine goals and creating 12 assists in the process (stats from Transfermarkt).
It is said that Richie turned down a lucrative new contract at Toronto to make the move to Forest in this window.
Speaking on joining the Championship club, the 27-year-old told the official website: ““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.
“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.”
Nottingham Forest started the 2021-22 season disastrously, losing six of their first seven matches in the Championship.
They dismissed Chris Hughton from his position and appointed Steve Cooper as the new boss at City Ground.
That proved to be a great decision as the Welsh football expert immediately changed their fortunes.
The Tricky Trees were mired in relegation when the 42-year-old first took over but now they are aiming to secure a top sixth finish in the league.
They currently occupy ninth spot in the Championship table, having 34 points from 25 matches.
Steve Cooper’s side lost two consecutive league matches against Middlesbrough and Huddersfield Town but they will be looking to bounce back when they lock horns with Millwall at The Den.
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Tagged: Chris Hughton, Nottingham Forest, Richie Laryea, Steve Cooper, Transfer News & Rumours