January 22, 2025...York United add Brampton-born centre-back Luke Singh (from canpl.ca)
York United add Brampton-born centre-back Luke Singh
2025-01-22
York United FC announced Wednesday the club has signed Canadian defender Luke Singh to a two-year guaranteed contract,
plus a club option for an additional 12 months.
The 24-year-old, a native of Brampton, Ont., returns home after a two-season stint on loan from Toronto FC with
Atlético Ottawa, where he racked up 49 appearances and netted one goal. Prior to his time in the nation’s capital,
Singh spent the 2022 Canadian Premier League season on loan with FC Edmonton. In his three CPL campaigns, Singh has
accumulated close to 6,000 minutes of top-flight action and now brings that consistency to the Nine Stripes.
A strong, powerful and ambidextrous centre-back, Singh is a composed figure at the back and especially adept
in possession, with the technical skills to pick a clever pass and advance the play. He reads the game exceptionally
well and brings a wealth of experience to the side.
“Last season, I felt York were the toughest team to play against,” Singh said.
“There was something in the mentality, you could feel it in every challenge. Every game was a battle. There seemed
to be a sense of brotherhood to the group and it showed on the pitch. That definitely played a factor in me joining the club.”
While he started out with North Mississauga SC and Brampton Youth before developing his craft at Vaughan Azzurri,
Singh joined the Toronto FC Academy in 2017 and the next year gained semi-pro minutes for the Academy side in League1 Ontario.
Already on an upward trajectory, Singh earned a pro contract with Toronto FC II in 2019 and — owing to a burgeoning
reputation — was immediately loaned to heavyweight Danish club Brøndby IF where Singh accumulated a considerable amount
of minutes with the team’s reserve and U-19 teams.
Singh returned to Toronto and trained heavily with the first team squad, and signed short-term contracts to feature
in a pair of mammoth 2021 Concacaf Champions League knockout round ties against Mexican giants Club León. A cameo appearance
off the bench in the first leg was followed by a full 90 in the return clash as TFC conjured a special 2-1 victory to reach
the quarter-finals. Within days, Singh was signed to an MLS contract as a Homegrown Player and made his league debut for
the team in a derby clash with CF Montreal, once again playing the full game. The following week, he started in a 2-2 draw
with the Vancouver Whitecaps, with Singh opening the scoring after just seven minutes. Overall, Singh made eight appearances
for Toronto FC before he stepped into the CPL for the first time in 2022 and joined FC Edmonton on loan.
While with the Eddies, Singh was a crucial ingredient and he made 24 appearances in all competitions before joining
Atletico Ottawa — once again on loan from Toronto FC — for the 2023 campaign. Overall, he featured 27 times and found the net
in a clash with Cavalry FC. Singh returned for a second loan stint in 2024 and helped the club reach the CPL playoffs with
a third-place regular season finish. Now — like so many of the York United signings during this off-season — Singh is back
home for the first time in a while.
There were a number of factors behind his decision, most notably the healthy foundations laid last term. Also, there was
the club’s commitment to investing in local talent, something owners Game Plan Sports Group have discussed at length ever
since their unveiling in December 2023. It means Singh walks into pre-season training already having established connections
and relationships with a bunch of players.
“I know almost everybody in the squad and chemistry is such a massive part of the game,” he said.
“There are six or seven guys here that I talk to almost on a daily basis. Kembo [Kibato] is my best friend so I’m really
happy to play with him this year. Having these relationships in place before we even kick a ball is very rare and I think
it will be extremely beneficial.
“My objective is the same as everyone else’s. I want to win. I want to bring a championship home to Toronto.”
For club president Ricardo Pasquel, this latest acquisition is part of a wider strategy and ensures York United can connect
more with Toronto, the GTA and the entire country too.
“We are delighted with Luke’s signing and are immensely happy that he’s back home,” Pasquel said.
“We have said all along that our objective is to develop Canadian talent and that should constantly be our anchor
as an organization. The quality of players is genuinely astounding here and it’s our responsibility to be representative
of our communities and neighbourhoods. Our roster has an authentic identity: heavily structured around local players and those
from other parts of the country. That’s crucial to us and will assist us greatly as we build on plenty of positives from 2024.”
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