Former Sheffield United defender Nicksoen Gomis made his MLS debut for Toronto FC last Sunday night, and it’s fair to say the Blades academy graduate has made quite the impression already.
The 21-year-old made the switch to North America a few weeks ago after impressing in a trial period. It was later revealed that Sheffield United did not command a fee for the versatile central defender, however, their are bonuses and clauses in his Toronto FC contract from which the Blades can benefit from. His deal expires at the end of the 2025 season, with an option to extend for the 2026 and 2027 campaigns.
Making his debut away at New England Revolution, Gomis experienced a winning start for his new club. After the game, Toronto’s head coach John Herdman heaped praise on him.
“I mean he looks like he’s a seasoned veteran in MLS. He’s got huge self-belief and he just brings a different presence to our backline. He’s just this young, sprightly, confident lad who’s bringing a bit of a comedy element to the team as well. I’ve enjoyed some of his off-field antics; he’s a funny lad,” he told the Globe and Mail.
Gomis’ Brilliant debut for Toronto
Having watched the game on Sunday evening just to see how Gomis would get on, I can safely say he looked awesome in his debut.
His style of play looks suited for the tempo of the MLS – fast breaks are quite frequent in the league. Although Gomis looks strong and powerful he can also win plenty of foot races too.
Throughout his time in the Sheffield United development team we saw the defender excel in attacking areas, as he used his power and surprising dribbling ability to progress the ball down the left.
We didn’t quite see the best of that on Sunday but he still posed a threat on the ball, registering a key pass and a successful dribble, per SofaScore. Meanwhile he made a couple of vital last-ditch blocks in the second half.
Gomis is an interesting one to keep an eye on for sure because I do think he has a higher ceiling than most would think.
