Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC announced on Thursday the club had signed Reggae Boyz’ midfielder Devon ‘Speedy’ Williams, ahead of the 2023 United Soccer League (USL) Championship season.
Williams, 30, previously played with USL Championship side The Miami FC for the last two seasons after signing with them in 2021.
“I’m really just looking forward to adding on to the success the team had last season,” he said. “It’s evident the Switchbacks are building towards a Championship and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Williams brings three Championship titles with him to the Springs, winning in 2016 with New York Red Bulls II and then with Louisville City in 2017 and 2018. He also won an Eastern Conference Title in 2019 with Louisville.
“Speedy is a player that has won the whole thing three times, he has every tool you would want…,” said Switchbacks’ general manager and head coach Brendan Burke.
“He will bring high end quality and leadership to our locker room and the hope is that his experience winning titles at this level and in CONCACAF with Jamaica will carry us through the most critical parts of the season.”
Internationally, Williams has made 23 appearances for the Jamaican national team, including competing in the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
He also made five appearances with Jamaica’s U20 team. He scored his first international goal for Jamaica in their 2019 Nations League match against Aruba.
With Miami, he made 53 appearances, starting in all 29 games played in 2022, and notched three goals. He made 39 key passes across the two seasons and held a huge passing accuracy average of 87 per cent.
In 2021, Devon Williams was also named the USL Championship’s Player of the Week after earning a brace in Miami’s win against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.
The Jamaican got his professional start with New York Red Bulls II where he spent two successful seasons, earning 39 appearances and two goals, and helping the team toward their 2016 Championship title.
In 2017, he signed with Louisville City, where he spent four prolific seasons, captaining in 2019. While there, he notched nine goals and seven assists, leading the league in completed passes in the 2020 campaign. He completed 93 key passes in his four years at LouCity, and his passing accuracy never dropped below 85 per cent.
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