Jayde Riviere signs with Manchester United
January 23, 2023
As a young girl, Jayde Riviere spent many Sunday mornings and mid-afternoons watching the English Premier Soccer League with her dad who is a huge Manchester United fan.
At one point, she knew the names of all the Red Devils players.
Last week, Riviere signed a multiple year contract with the club and will begin training shortly.
She was a member of the Canadian team that won a gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
“I have been a fan of Manchester United since I was very young, so I am extremely excited about the opportunity to play for them,” said Riviere who turned 22 on January 22. “With their style of play, the fit is right for me.”
She caught the club’s attention during last year’s inaugural Arnold Clark Cup tournament in England where Canada finished third in the four-team event.
“They and some other clubs, from what I gather, were interested in me,” Riviere said. “However, NCAA rules forbid direct contact with professional clubs, so there were no discussions regarding their interest. Once I announced my intention to go pro in January, the conversations with clubs began.”
Manchester United coach Marc Skinner said his latest signee is an exciting young player who matches the club’s long-term vision and its belief in nurturing the game’s best young talent.
“We have been monitoring Jayde for a long time and believe she has the attributes to become an excellent footballer,” he added. “We are delighted she has signed her first professional contract with us and look forward to seeing the quality she will add to the group.”
Riviere, who has made 36 appearances for Canada women’s team, and the coach hit it off right away.
“Coach Skinner has been great,” she pointed out. “He told me about the goals of the club and what his expectations are of me. I pride myself on being a versatile player and I just want to help the club win in whatever role he sees me in.”
The transition to the new club will be a bit smoother for Riviere as Canadian teammate Adriana Leon signed a two-year contract with Manchester United last June.
“We have a close relationship,” said Riviere who made her Canadian senior debut in 2017. “Dri reached out to me as soon as I signed and told me what a great environment it is here at Manchester. There have been a couple of times when Dri and I have played on the same side, with her being a winger and I a fullback. I am looking forward to playing with her more as well as with my other teammates.”
Riviere is the 11th Canadian to join the English Women’s Super League since its launch in 2011.
“When I thought about playing professional football, the Women’s Super League was my number one choice,” she said. “I think it is a highly competitive league with fantastic players and it gives me a chance to regularly play against some of the world’s best women players.”
The Pickering resident had to forgo her senior year at the University of Michigan because of injury.
A nagging hip pain that intensified during last year’s Confederation of North, Central America & Caribbean Association of Football (CONCACAF) World Cup qualifier in Mexico last July prompted Riviere’s decision to undergo surgery.
“I am healed now and super eager to get back on the pitch and help my club and country achieve their goals,” she said.
Jayde Riviere is the second Canadian to sign with Manchester United (Photo contributed)
Riviere announced her retirement from collegiate soccer after the August 28 game against Boston University that was her first and last appearance with the Wolverines.
She also played four matches with AFC Ann Arbor in the USL W League.
Riviere relished her time at the University of Michigan.
“I loved it to say the least,” said the Bill Crothers Secondary School graduate who scored 50 goals in her freshman season and won the Female Athlete of the Year award. “The university is a world class institution with top notch facilities and an amazing staff. The biggest thing I brought away from that experience was to be able to adapt to anything that is thrown at me. I was so used to playing the fullback role, but because of injury, I had to adapt to a different role last season. Aside from that, I made friends for life and will cherish the values and knowledge that it takes to be a Michigan Wolverine. I hope I can apply what I have learnt there not only on the pitch, but in life moving forward.”
Parents Tony Riviere, a retired Toronto Police officer, and Emily Lui introduced their daughter to the sport she started playing at age four.
Jayde Riviere and her proud dad, Tony Riviere (Photo contributed)
“We are so happy for Jayde,” said her dad who was in England for the signing. “From watching Manchester United games in our home to now playing at Old Trafford are surreal. We were able to attend the Manchester United/Manchester City derby and do a museum tour to get a sense of the club’s history. Selfishly, a dream has come through for me through her.”
