By Canadian Press

York 9 FC sells attacking midfielder Emilio Estevez to Dutch club ADO Den Haag

May 12, 2020 | 6:49 AM

TORONTO — York 9 FC has sold attacking midfielder Emilio Estevez to ADO Den Haag of the Dutch top-flight Eredivisie.

The 21-year-old follows in the footsteps of midfielder Canadian Premier League MVP Tristan Borges, sold by Forge FC to Belgium’s Oud-Heverlee Leuven in January.

Estevez made 18 league appearances for York 9 in the CPL’s inaugural 2019 season, scoring once. He was called up to the Chinese Taipei national team for its World Cup qualifiers.

Born in Toronto to Spanish and Taiwanese parents, Estevez caught York 9 head coach Jimmy Brennan’s eye at the CPL’s open trials in 2018.

“We fell in love with him as soon as I saw him,” Brennan told the CPL website at the time of his signing. “He was a little hidden gem.

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The five-foot-six Estevez is good on the ball and likes to run at defenders.

“Coming from trials two years ago and now going to Europe is obviously a huge thrill for me,” Estevez said in a statement. “I learned so much and owe a lot to the coaching staff at York 9 who believed in me and gave me a shot.

“Now I’m going to one of the biggest footballing countries in the world and I’m incredibly excited.”

Estevez played for the Sheridan Bruins prior to the CPL. Growing up, he played futsal as well as for the Etobicoke Energy and Clarkson Soccer Club.

He has already spent time on trial with England’s Queens Park Rangers and Spain’s Levante.

“This transfer is a further sign of the progress the CPL has made in a relatively short period of time,” York 9 managing consultant Angus McNab said in a statement. “On our side Jimmy Brennan deserves so much credit for identifying Emilio and working with him.

“We want to be a club that is known for developing talent and we hope this is the first of many sales to top divisions in Europe.”

Based in The Hague, ADO Den Haag (4-15-7) stood 17th in the 18-team Eredivisie when the league halted play due to the global pandemic. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 12, 2020.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press