1. Overview
Richmond Mamah Laryea is a versatile Canadian professional soccer player, primarily known for his roles as a right-back and midfielder. Born in Toronto, Canada, he began his football journey through local academies before establishing a notable college career. His professional path has seen him play for several clubs, including Sigma FC, Orlando City SC, Nottingham Forest, and multiple stints with Toronto FC, where he currently plays. Laryea has also been a consistent presence in the Canadian national team setup, representing his country at both youth and senior levels, including participation in major international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup, CONCACAF Gold Cup, and CONCACAF Nations League.
2. Early life and background
Richmond Mamah Laryea was born on January 7, 1995, in Toronto, Canada. He is of Ghanaian descent. Laryea's younger brother, Reggie Laryea, also plays soccer for the semi-professional team Vaughan Azzurri.
2.1. Childhood and education
Before embarking on his college career, Laryea developed his soccer skills playing for the Sigma FC Academy and Dante Alighieri Academy in Toronto. These early experiences contributed significantly to his formative years as a football player.
2.2. College career
Laryea played college soccer for two seasons at the University of Akron. During his time there, he showcased considerable talent, contributing to the team's success. In 2015, the University of Akron reached the semi-finals of the College Cup. His individual performances earned him recognition, as he was named to the All-Mid-American Conference Second Team in 2014 and subsequently to the All-Mid-American Conference First Team in 2015. Following his sophomore season, Laryea's potential was acknowledged when he signed a contract with Generation Adidas, a program designed to develop top collegiate soccer players for Major League Soccer.
3. Club career
Laryea's professional club career has included multiple stops across Major League Soccer and in England, often marked by his versatility and dynamic playstyle.
3.1. Sigma FC
In 2015, Laryea played for League1 Ontario club Sigma FC. During his tenure with the team, he made 9 appearances and scored 5 goals. His strong performances led to him being named a League All-Star, highlighting his early professional promise.
3.2. Orlando City
Richmond Laryea was selected by Orlando City SC in the first round as the seventh overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Soon after joining Orlando City, he was loaned to Orlando City B in March 2016 to gain further playing experience. He spent the first half of his second season, in 2017, also on loan to Orlando City B, where he was deployed in various midfield roles, both attacking and defensive.
Laryea made his Major League Soccer debut on June 25, 2017, coming on as a second-half substitute for Kaká in a 4-0 defeat against Chicago Fire. His first MLS assist came on September 27, 2017, when he set up Yoshimar Yotún's goal against New England Revolution. He earned his first career MLS start on the final day of the 2017 season in an away match against Philadelphia Union. After the 2018 season, on November 27, 2018, Orlando City announced that they had declined his contract option, leading to his departure from the club.
3.3. Toronto FC (first stint)
On March 21, 2019, Laryea signed with Major League Soccer side Toronto FC. He scored his first goal for Toronto FC, which was also his first ever MLS goal, on May 26, 2019, in a 2-1 home defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes. Laryea continued to make an impact, scoring his first playoff goal against D.C. United. Toronto FC then went on to defeat Atlanta United FC to win the Eastern Conference (MLS) playoffs, securing a spot in the 2019 MLS Cup final, where they ultimately lost to Seattle Sounders FC. Following the 2019 season, Toronto FC exercised their option for Laryea, keeping him with the club for the 2020 season.
His strong form continued into the 2020 season; on September 27, 2020, Laryea delivered a standout performance, scoring a solo goal and providing two assists in the second half of Toronto's 3-1 victory over the then-league-leading Columbus Crew. As a result of this performance, he was named the MLS Player of the Week.
3.4. Nottingham Forest
On January 8, 2022, Laryea transferred from Toronto FC to EFL Championship club Nottingham Forest, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract. During his initial months with Forest, he featured only sparingly in the team's matchday squads. However, he made his debut on April 18, 2022, coming on as a second-half substitute for Djed Spence in a 4-0 victory against West Bromwich Albion.
3.4.1. Loans from Nottingham Forest
In August 2022, Laryea returned to Toronto FC on a loan deal that was set to last until the end of June 2023. To facilitate this transaction, Toronto FC acquired the top spot in the MLS Allocation Order by sending 225.00 K USD in General Allocation Money to FC Dallas and an additional 125.00 K USD in General Allocation Money to FC Cincinnati. On August 2, 2023, while still under contract with Nottingham Forest, Laryea was loaned to another Canadian MLS side, Vancouver Whitecaps FC. In January 2024, it was confirmed that his loan move to Vancouver would not be made permanent, marking the end of his time with the club.
3.5. Return to Toronto FC
In February 2024, Richmond Laryea made a permanent transfer back to Toronto FC, signing a contract with the club that extends through the 2026 season, with an option for 2027. This marked his second full return to the club where he had previously enjoyed significant success.
4. International career
Richmond Laryea has been a consistent and key player for the Canadian national team at both youth and senior levels, contributing significantly to their recent successes on the international stage.
4.1. Youth national teams
In May 2016, Laryea received a call-up to Canada's U23 national team for a series of friendlies against Guyana and Grenada. He notably scored a goal in the opening match against Guyana.
4.2. Senior national team
Laryea earned his first call-up to the senior national team on August 26, 2019, for two 2019-20 CONCACAF Nations League matches against Cuba. He made his senior international debut in the first of these matches on September 7, 2019. On March 25, 2021, Laryea scored his first goal for Canada in a dominant 5-1 victory over Bermuda, during the team's opening match of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
In June 2021, Laryea was included in Canada's 60-man preliminary squad for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and subsequently, on July 1, he was named to the final 23-man roster for the tournament. His strong performances earned him a spot in the squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in November 2022, a historic moment for Canadian soccer. In June 2023, Laryea was again named to Canada's final squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. Just over a week later, on June 19, he was also selected for the 23-man squad to compete in the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup. His involvement continued into 2024, when he was called up to the Canadian squad for the 2024 Copa América in June.
5. Honours
Richmond Laryea has achieved several team honors throughout his professional career.
Toronto FC
- Eastern Conference Championship (Playoffs): 2019
Nottingham Forest
- EFL Championship play-offs: 2022
6. Career statistics
6.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | Notes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| Sigma FC | 2015 | League1 Ontario | 9 | 5 | - | - | - | 3 | 2 | 12 | 7 | Appearances and goals in League1 Ontario League Cup. | |||
| Orlando City B | 2016 | USL | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 23 | 0 | ||||
| 2017 | 12 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 12 | 3 | |||||||
| Total | 35 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 35 | 3 | ||||||
| Orlando City SC | 2017 | MLS | 12 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2018 | 9 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 9 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 21 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||||||
| Toronto FC | 2019 | MLS | 20 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | - | 28 | 2 | |||
| 2020 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | 22 | 4 | League appearances include 2 in MLS is Back Tournament group stage. Other appearance in MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage. | ||||
| 2021 | 27 | 3 | - | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 33 | 3 | Continental appearances in CONCACAF Champions League. | ||||
| Total | 67 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 83 | 9 | |||
| Nottingham Forest | 2021-22 | Championship | 5 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||
| Toronto FC (loan) | 2022 | MLS | 10 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2023 | 18 | 2 | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 2 | ||||||
| Total | 28 | 2 | - | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 2 | ||||||
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC (loan) | 2023 | MLS | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 14 | 1 | |||
| Toronto FC | 2024 | MLS | 12 | 1 | - | 2 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 | Other appearances in Leagues Cup. | ||
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 191 | 20 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 219 | 23 | |||
6.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 2019 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2024 | 12 | 0 | |
| Total | 60 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 25, 2021 | Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States | 7 | Bermuda | 3-0 | 5-1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
As of March 25, 2021. Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Laryea goal.
7. Personal life
Richmond Laryea is of Ghanaian descent. He has a younger brother, Reggie Laryea, who is also a soccer player and currently plays for the semi-professional team Vaughan Azzurri.