TORONTO — Winger Michael Petrasso, who signed a new two-year deal with York 9 FC of the Canadian Premier League last week, is headed to England on a season-long loan with Barnet FC.
Barnet plays in the National League, the fifth tier of English soccer.
The 25-year-old from Woodbridge, Ont., joined Toronto-based York 9 in January after spending the league's inaugural 2019 season with Winnipeg's Valour FC. But an injury restricted him to just 130 minutes of action spread over three matches at this summer's Island Games in Charlottetown.
"This is a move that really works when we look at the aims of both the club and player," York 9 managing consultant Angus McNab said in a statement Monday.
"Ultimately, we need a fully fit Michael Petrasso and getting full-time training and regular minutes is what he needs ... He needs games and a full-time environment to get back to that."
Petrasso, who has won nine caps for Canada, previously played in England for Queens Park Rangers with loan spells at Oldham, Coventry, Leyton Orient and Notts County. He also had a stint with the Montreal Impact.
He is expected back from Barnet next June.
York 9 also announced the signing of German striker Julian Ulbricht with an option through the end of the 2022 season. The 21-year-old came through the youth system at Hamburg SV.
Ulbright will join the CPL side early next year after a stint with FC Phoenix Luebeck, a German fourth-tier side.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct 5, 2020
The Canadian Press