Forward Madison on Wednesday announced seven players for the 2023 roster, including three returning players and four new additions.
Returning are defender and captain Mitch Osmond, wingback Derek Gebhard and forward Nazeem Bartman.
New additions to the squad include forward Christian Chaney and defenders Jacob Crull, Stephen Payne and Timmy Mehl.
Center back Eric Leonard, the only player remaining from the original 2019 squad, is also still on a multiyear contract with the club.
It’s Head Coach Matt Glaeser’s second season with the club, but this is the first time he’ll get to build a roster that’s 100 percent his own. At an event for sponsors and corporate partners last week, he said only four or five players from the 2022 squad will be returning after a disappointing ninth-place finish in USL League One.
In an interview Tuesday from Rockford, where he’s running a player combine, he said a mostly-new team will still be ready to win.
“I don’t think we have time for a rebuilding year,” he said. “That’s not the idea. That’s not the approach. The idea is to come in and be a playoff team.”
Glaeser said there will be at least one or two more returning players signed, and likely around a dozen more new additions, in addition to those announced today.
The players announced today include:
Derek Gebhard
Position: Midfield, wing back
2022 club: Forward Madison
Former clubs: El Paso Locomotive, OKC Energy, Charlotte Independence
Origin: Blue Hill, Maine
Quote: “[I] want to help the club get to where it belongs in the playoffs and give the fans, who’ve shown amazing support through two years here, something more to cheer for and be proud of!”
Mitchell Osmond
Position: Defender
2022 club: Forward Madison
Former clubs: OKC Energy, Indy Eleven
Origin: Sydney, Australia
Quote: “There’s unfinished business… I’m excited to give the fans a season to be proud of and put Forward Madison amongst the contenders for a championship.”
Nazeem Bartman
Position: Striker, winger
2022 club: Forward Madison
Former clubs: Chicago House, Vancouver Whitecaps, Des Moines Menace
Origin: Capetown, South Africa
Quote: “[I] want to help the club get to where it belongs in the playoffs and give the fans, who’ve shown amazing support through two years here, something more to cheer for and be proud of!”
Christian Chaney
Position: Forward
2022 club: Central Valley Fuego
Former clubs: Sacramento Republic, Fresno FC
Origin: Fresno, California
Quote: “I’m looking forward to the support that [FMFC] has with their home field. It just seems like a really good vibe, a really good energy.”
Stephen Payne
Position: Defender
2022 Club: Richmond Kickers
Former Clubs: UCLA, Varzim FC, Portimonense S.C., C.D Mafra, Vilaverdense F.C.
Origin: Birmingham, Alabama
Jacob Crull
Position: Defender
2022 Club: FC Tucson
Former Clubs: Union Omaha, Indiana Fire
Origin: Heiligenkreuz, Austria
Quote: “I’m excited to see the passionate community that backs the team and supports them well. I’m ready to develop as an individual player, and grow a team-first culture in Madison.”
Timmy Mehl
Position: Defender
2022 Club: Chattanooga Red Wolves
Former Clubs: Tampa Bay Rowdies, Loudon United
Origin: Manhattan Beach, California
Quote: “I came to Madison because of the coaching staff and the city… I want to learn and grow as a player under this coaching staff. I want to win a trophy for this city.”
