January 1, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Orlando City SC News Release
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando City SC has completed a transfer of forward Daryl Dike to West Bromwich Albion Football Club of the English Football League (EFL) Championship, it was announced today. Per Club policy, terms of the transfer will not be disclosed.
“We would like to thank Daryl for all he has given to Orlando City throughout his time here,” EVP of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi said. “From the moment we drafted him, we knew Daryl was a special talent, and this opportunity is a credit to both his natural talent and his dedication over the last two years. We are happy that he was able to develop here in Orlando and grow into the player he is today. While we know he will go on to do tremendous things in his career, it’s an honor to say that Daryl got his start here in Orlando, that we played a strong role in helping him get to this new challenge. We wish Daryl nothing but the best in this next chapter.”
“I am extremely grateful to everyone at Orlando City for believing in me and for giving me the opportunity to play for this incredible Club. This was a great place for me to start my career and I am thankful to the Club for helping me toward this next step of my journey,” Dike said. “I will always cherish my time here with my teammates, coaches, and staff, but I’ll especially miss the fans and the incredible atmosphere they create for each home game.”
Dike, 22, departs the Club after two seasons after being selected No. 5 overall at the 2020 MLS SuperDraft, scoring a total of 19 goals across all competitions for the Lions throughout his tenure, with seven assists to add. The University of Virginia product led the Lions to back-to-back berths in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, scoring in the side’s last five matches this season en route to clinching their second-consecutive postseason berth. Dike finished the year as the Lions’ leading goalscorer, totaling 11 in all competitions in 2021.
Throughout his time in The City Beautiful, Dike tallied a total of six MLS Team of the Week honors and earned MLS Player of the Month in August of 2020. Following a successful 2020 rookie campaign, Dike was named a finalist for AT&T MLS Young Player of the Year and ranked second in this year’s 22 Under 22 rankings, presented by BODYARMOR.
On the international stage, Dike earned his first callup to the U.S. Men’s National Team in November 2020 and would go on to make his international debut at Exploria Stadium on January 31 in a 7-0 friendly win over Trinidad & Tobago. Since then, Dike has lifted both a CONCACAF Nations League and CONCACAF Gold Cup trophy as a member of the senior national team, scoring three goals in eight appearances for the U.S. in 2021.
TRANSACTION: Orlando City SC transfers forward Daryl Dike to West Bromwich Albion Football Club.
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