Midfielder Nil Vinyals, who was named to USL League One’s All-League First Team in 2023, is bringing his “killer instinct” to Spokane Velocity FC ahead of the new season (pending league and federation approval).
Vinyals, a 28-year-old from Barcelona, Spain, comes to Spokane from the Richmond Kickers, a club he joined in 2021. Before that, he was with South Georgia Tormenta in both League One and League Two. He’s made 140 appearances in League One play in his career; 106 of those were with Richmond, where he has scored 15 goals in the past four seasons and helped the Kickers win the Players’ Shield in 2022.
“Nil brings real quality and a killer instinct to our attack,” said Velocity head coach Leigh Veidman. “His consistent production year on year, along with his winning mentality, and leadership, are going to be a huge addition to our team. He brings excellent experience of what it takes to be successful from his Players Shield in 2022 to his community service work. He co-founded a nonprofit, Project Inspire, which works with athletes who have intellectual disabilities. We are gaining an amazing person who really cares about community.”
Vinyals grew up playing in FC Barcelona’s futsal program and came to the United States in 2014 to play for Union University before transferring to Winthrop University, where he helped the Eagles win the Big South Conference championship in 2015.
Now that his professional journey is bringing him to Spokane, Vinyals said he’s thrilled at the opportunity it presents.
“I’m really excited to join such a professional organization that’s focused on building a strong community and creating a great environment for players,” he said. “Spokane has quickly set a new standard for supporting players and creating a positive culture. I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s success on the field and getting to know the incredible community around the team.”
Spokane Velocity FC returns for season two of USL League One action with a match at ONE Spokane Stadium on March 16. For tickets, schedules and other information, visit www.uslspokane.com.
