VIDEO FOR MEDIA: Ezra Armstrong SOT
CARY, N.C. (Dec. 15, 2023) — North Carolina FC has signed defender Ezra Armstrong to a two-year contract through the 2025 USL Championship season, the club announced Friday. The signing is pending league and federation approval.
Armstrong, who turns 25 today, was born in Gastonia, North Carolina and has several years of professional soccer experience in the United States and Europe, most recently with St. Louis CITY 2 in MLS Next Pro.
“We are pleased to welcome Ezra to North Carolina FC and back to his home state. He is well traveled for his age and is a proven defender that can also get forward and be a play-maker in the final third. We are excited about what he brings to the mix as we build a versatile and complete roster,” said NCFC Head Coach and Sporting Director John Bradford.
“I am thrilled to be joining NCFC because it means I will be playing professionally in my home state. This is where my journey to become a professional player began at a young age, and I am grateful for the opportunity to come full circle. I chose to sign with NCFC because I see the club's determination to win more trophies and their commitment to operating at a high level.
I am excited to compete every day and help the team achieve their goals. After completing my second year at CITY 2 in MLS Next Pro, I knew I wanted to come back to the USL Championship and prove myself. What better way to do so than with a team that values me as both a person and a player? I am thankful for this opportunity and can't wait to get started,” said Armstrong.
Across two seasons with CITY 2, Armstrong appeared in 41 matches, racking up seven assists in 2,393 minutes. On the defensive side, Armstrong won 52.1% of his duels and made 78 interceptions.
Armstrong made his professional debut in 2016 with Sporting Kansas City’s then-USL affiliate Swope Parke Rangers after joining the MLS club’s academy from an affiliated academy in Nashville, Tennessee.
After a year on loan in the NPSL, Armstrong went overseas to play two seasons with German sixth-tier side Türkspor Augsburg and Danish club Skovshoved IF before returning to the U.S. and joining CITY 2.
Armstrong is the son of former U.S. Men’s National Team defender Desmond Armstrong, who is in the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame. Ezra's brother, Dida Armstrong, also plays professional soccer for CITY 2.
Armstrong is the seventh new signing for North Carolina FC this off-season and brings the roster to 16 players under contract for 2024.
