Memphis, Tenn – Memphis 901 FC announced on Thursday the club signed 17-year old forward Nighte Pickering to a multi-year contract, pending league and federation approval.
The Birmingham native joined the FC Dallas Academy in 2017 and was a part of the U-15 team that won the 2019 FC Bayern adidas Campus Cup in Munich, Germany.
“We saw Nighte as a perfect match and are extremely excited for him to join our club and contribute immediately,” Assistant Sporting Director Caleb Patterson-Sewell said. “Signing top prospects with star potential such as Nighte is a priority for the club as we work to achieve our goals both now and in the future.”
Pickering established himself as one of the top young prospects in the country with seven goals in 20 MLS NXT appearances for FC Dallas before being called up to the U.S. U-19 National Team this year.
“We are very excited to add Nighte to our club for the 2022 season and beyond,” Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “He is a fantastic young attacker that can score goals and we are thrilled to add a young player from the South region to our group.”
The young striker will add his goal scoring ability as the club pushes for positioning in the Eastern Conference standings with 13 matches remaining in the regular season.
“I saw everything was here and ready for my development. They put interest in me and had a plan right when I got here,” Pickering said. “I don’t just want to be some academy kid. I want to be here, and I want to earn my spot. I see the team is ready to compete and they want to make a playoff run and I think I can be here to help them with that.”
Memphis 901 FC finish their two-match week at AutoZone Park on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. CT as Hartford Athletic visits the Bluff City.
For the latest information on, visit https://www.memphis901fc.com and follow the club on social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
# # #
Contact
Josh Clayton, Communications and Public Relations Assistant, jclayton@memphis901fc.com