(PHOENIX, AZ) June 9, 2017 – Today, Phoenix Rising Football Club announced the signings of defender Amadou Dia and goalkeeper Nolan Wirth.

Dia spent four years playing college soccer at Clemson University, where he appeared in 70 matches and scored four goals while adding four assists from 2011-2014. In 2015, he was the 29th overall pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City. In his rookie season with Sporting Kansas City, he appeared in 22 matches (13 starts) and notched an assist. In 2016 he appeared in ten matches (nine starts). He finished the 2016 season the MLS side Montreal Impact.

Wirth has played the previous three seasons with Oregon State University. In 2016 he started in 12 matches, allowing just 14 goals and collecting three clean sheets on the way to a 4-5-3 record. In 2017, Wirth, a former Whitecaps FC residency player, broke preseason camp with Whitecaps FC 2 but went unsigned.

Player Bios

Name: Amadou Dia

Pronunciation: ah-mah-doo DEE-ah

Position: Defender

Height: 5-10

Weight: 150

Jersey Number: 19

Date of Birth: June 8, 1993

Age: 24

Hometown: Nantes

Country: France

Last Club: Montreal Impact

How Acquired: Signed on June 9, 2017

2016: Appeared in one match with MLS side Montreal Impact. … Appeared in 10 matches with MLS side Sporting Kansas City.

2015: Appeared in 22 matches with Sporting Kansas City and collected an assist.

2011-2014: Appeared in 70 matches with Clemson University and scored four goals while notching six assists.

Achievements: Represented the United States at the U14 (2007), U18 (2009, 2010) and U20 (2012) levels.

Name: Nolan Wirth

Pronunciation: Worth

Position: Goalkeeper

Height: 6-1

Weight: 190

Jersey Number: 55

Date of Birth: January 24, 1995

Hometown: Burnaby, B.C.

Country: Canada

Last Club: Oregon State

How Acquired: Signed on June 9, 2017

2016: Appeared in 12 matches with Oregon State University as a junior.

2015: N/A

2014: Appeared in five matches with Oregon State University as a freshman.

Phoenix Rising Football Club players under contract for 2017 include:

FORWARDS: Didier Drogba, Omar Bravo, Jason Johnson, Chris Cortez, Mike Seth, Matthew Hurlow-Paonessa

MIDFIELDERS: Shaun Wright-Phillips, Blair Gavin, Miguel Timm, Luke Rooney, A.J. Gray, Alessandro Riggi, Romilio Hernandez, Eder Arreola, Eric Avila, Jordan Gibbons.

DEFENDERS: Jordan Stewart, Peter Ramage, Uchenna Uzo, J.J. Greer, Brock Granger, Victor Vasquez, Kody Wakasa, Amadou Dia

GOALKEEPERS: Carl Woszczynski, Josh Cohen, Nolan Wirth