Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Ryan Lee James | ||
Date of birth | April 21, 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Mississauga, Ontario, Canada | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Youth career | |||
–2011 | Dixie SC | ||
2012 | Toronto FC | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2012–2015 | Bowling Green Falcons | 79 | (9) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2012 | TFC Academy | ||
2015 | Toronto FC III | 1 | (0) |
2016–2017 | Rochester Rhinos | 59 | (1) |
2018 | Nashville SC | 16 | (0) |
2019–2020 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | 50 | (5) |
2021–2022 | Birmingham Legion FC | 59 | (1) |
2023 | HFX Wanderers | 6 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of June 22, 2023 |
Ryan Lee James (born April 21, 1994) is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a defender. [1]
James began playing youth soccer at age four with Dixie SC. [2] He later joined the Toronto FC Academy. [3] He was a member of the Ontario provincial team at both the U14 and U16 levels, winning a silver medal at both national tournaments. [4]
In 2012, he committed to attend Bowling Green University to play for the men's soccer team. [5] On September 9, 2012, James recorded his first collegiate goal and his first assist in a 3–3 draw against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. [6] On October 30, 2012, he scored a brace in a 3–2 victory over the Wright State Raiders, [7] which earned him Bowling Green's Athlete of the Week honours. [8] In his sophomore season, he was named to the OCSA Academic All-Ohio Second Team and also earned honourable mention honours for the Academic All-MAC Team. [9] [10]
In his junior season, he was named to the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, [11] the All-MAC Second-Team, [12] All-Ohio Second Team, [13] Academic All-MAC Team, [14] a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete, [15] and a Academic All-Ohio First Team. [4]
Ahead of his senior season, he was named a team captain. [16] He was named a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award, [17] was named to the All-MAC Second Team, [18] Academic All-MAC Team, [19] MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete, and was the male recipient of Bowling Green's Medal of Honor. [20] Ahead of the MLS SuperDraft, he was invited to the MLS Combine. [21] [22] Over his four seasons, he played in all 79 of the team's games, scoring nine goals and adding 15 assists. [23]
In 2012, James began playing with the TFC Academy in the first division of the Canadian Soccer League. [24] He also appeared with TFC Academy in a Premier Development League match in 2015.[ citation needed]
At the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, James was drafted in the third round (52nd overall) by Sporting Kansas City. [25] [26] He attended pre-season with the team, [27] [28] however, he did not ultimately sign with the club. [29] [30]
In March 2016, James signed with the Rochester Rhinos of the USL.[ citation needed]
In December 2017, James signed with Nashville SC in the USL, for the 2018 season. [31] [32]
In November 2018, James signed a one-year contract, with a club option for 2020 with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. [33] In April 2019, he was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for the first time. [34] He scored his first goal for the Riverhounds on August 1, 2020, against Philadelphia Union II. [35] After scoring a brace against the Hartford Athletic on August 28, 2020, James was named USL Championship Player of the Week (and named to the Team of the Week). [36] [37] After another two-goal performance against the Hartford Athletic on September 12, he was once again named to the Team of the Week. [38] [39] For the 2020 season, he was named the Steel Army (the Riverhounds' supporters group) Player of the Year. [40]
In December 2020, James signed a multi-year contract with Birmingham Legion FC. [41] [42] He scored his first goal for the Legion on July 9, 2022, against the Charleston Battery. [43] In July 2022, he was named to the USL Team of the Week. [44]
In February 2023, he signed a one-year contract with a club option for 2024, with the HFX Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League. [45] He was named an assistant captain for the 2023 season. [46] He made his debut for the club on April 15, 2023, against Atlético Ottawa. [47] In July 2023, it was announced that he would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery due to injury. [48] [49] In December 2023, the Wanderers declined his option for 2024. [50]
He made his debut in the Canadian national program attending a camp with the Canada U17 team in August 2010, later attending a second camp in November 2010. [2]
James is the younger brother of Evan James, who is also a professional soccer player. [51] [52] In September 2022, he was the inaugural recipient of the Coaching License Scholarship from Kwik Goal, the United Soccer League, and US Soccer, and will begin with B coaching license training with the United States Soccer Federation. [53] [54]
Club | League | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
Toronto FC III | Premier Development League | 2015 [56] | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
Rochester Rhinos | USL | 2016 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
2017 | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
Total | 59 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 1 | ||
Nashville SC | USL | 2018 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC | USL Championship | 2019 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
2020 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 17 | 5 | |||
Total | 50 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 55 | 5 | ||
Birmingham Legion FC | USL Championship | 2021 | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | |
2022 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 1 | ||
Total | 59 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 63 | 1 | ||
HFX Wanderers FC | Canadian Premier League | 2023 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Career Total | 191 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 208 | 7 |