In 2016, Simon Karlsson Adjei tore up Ontario’s semiprofessional League 1, scoring 19 goals in 19 matches with Aurora FC, good for second in league scoring. Few defenders in the league could keep up with the lanky 6-foot-3 striker. Given how he dominated the league, the Swedish striker could have been forgiven for never wanting to return to play soccer in Canada.



And yet, once that season ended and he returned to play in Sweden, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he would eventually come back to Canada.



“I feel like I have so much more to give here,” Karlsson Adjei told The Athletic in an exclusive interview.



The 25-year-old will now get that chance as he makes history, becoming the first-ever foreign player to sign for York 9 FC in the nascent Canadian Premier League. Terms of Adjei’s contract were not disclosed. The league’s first round of signings, all Canadians, were announced Thursday.



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