Devann Yao

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Devann Yao

| fullname = Devann Grey Joseph Yao

| image =

| caption =

| height = 5 ft 10 in

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|4|5}}

| birth_place = New York City, New York, United States

| position = Midfielder

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2003–2007

| youthclubs1 = Metz

| youthyears2 = 2007–2008

| youthclubs2 = Livorno

| youthyears3 = 2008–2009

| youthclubs3 = St Mirren

| years1 = 2010

| clubs1 = Ipswich Town

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2011–2013

| clubs2 = Borinage

| caps2 = 28

| goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2013–2014

| clubs3 = UR La Louvière Centre

| caps3 = 12

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2014–2015

| clubs4 = TSG Neustrelitz

| caps4 = 17

| goals4 = 5

| years5 = 2015–2016

| clubs5 = Kickers Offenbach

| caps5 = 14

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2016–2017

| clubs6 = Berliner AK 07

| caps6 = 23

| goals6 = 8

| years7 = 2017–2018

| clubs7 = SV Meppen

| caps7 = 6

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2018

| clubs8 = Berliner AK 07

| caps8 = 5

| goals8 = 3

| years9 = 2019

| clubs9 = Victoria Rosport

| caps9 = 4

| goals9 = 2

| years10 = 2019

| clubs10 = Fresno FC

| caps10 = 5

| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2020

| clubs11 = FC Brandenburg 03

| caps11 = 2

| goals11 = 0

| pcupdate = 17:02, 11 May 2020 (UTC)

}}

Devann Grey Joseph Yao (born April 5, 1990) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/devann-yao/ |title=Devann Yao |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HEIM:SPIEL |access-date=August 18, 2017 |archive-date=August 19, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170819021836/http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/devann-yao/ |url-status=live }}

Club career

Born in New York to an Ivorian father and Italian mother, Yao moved to Europe at a young age. He first joined FC Metz in France at age of 13. He spent four years in their youth system before joining AS Livorno in Italy, where he played for their youth and reserve teams. Yao then signed with St. Mirren of the Scottish Championship but left due to lack of playing time with the first team.

Yao briefly returned to the United States to trial with the New York Red Bulls but failed to secure a contract, returning to the United Kingdom to sign with Ipswich Town. However, he was released from Ipswich Town in 2010 without playing any match with the first team.

In 2011, Yao went to Borinage in the Belgian Second Division. In 2013, he signed with UR La Louvière Centre.

In 2014, after three years in Belgium, Yao headed to Germany, where he joined TSG Neustrelitz in the German fourth tier. After scoring eight goals in 23 matches for Berliner AK 07 in the 2016–2017 season, he signed with SV Meppen in the German 3. Liga.{{cite web|title=DEVANN YAO|url=http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=players&id=256|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130117001534/http://yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=players&id=256|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 17, 2013|website=Yanks Abroad|accessdate=August 21, 2017}}

Yao joined FC Victoria Rosport on 1 January 2019, after signing for the club in December.[https://www.wort.lu/fr/sport/devann-yao-s-engage-avec-rosport-5c1bf0b5182b657ad3b9c2c8 Devann Yao s'engage avec Rosport] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331181845/https://www.wort.lu/fr/sport/devann-yao-s-engage-avec-rosport-5c1bf0b5182b657ad3b9c2c8 |date=March 31, 2019 }}, wort.lu, 20 December 2018 He left the club already on 10 April 2019.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

On September 20, 2019, Yao returned to the United States, joining USL Championship side Fresno FC for the remainder of their 2019 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.fresnofc.com/news_article/show/1050753|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922183523/http://www.fresnofc.com/news_article/show/1050753|archive-date=2019-09-22|title=FOXES ACQUIRE MIDFIELDER DEVANN YAO FOR REMAINDER OF SEASON}} He left the club at the end of the year and then returned to Germany, joining Berlin-Liga club FC Brandenburg 03 in the beginning of 2020.[https://www.berliner-woche.de/charlottenburg/c-sport/neu-formierte-mannschaft-vom-fc-brandenburg-03-kaempft-um-klassenerhalt-in-der-berlin-liga_a256486 Neu formierte Mannschaft vom FC Brandenburg 03 kämpft um Klassenerhalt in der Berlin-Liga] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127030259/https://www.berliner-woche.de/charlottenburg/c-sport/neu-formierte-mannschaft-vom-fc-brandenburg-03-kaempft-um-klassenerhalt-in-der-berlin-liga_a256486 |date=January 27, 2024 }}, berliner-woche.de, 13 March 2020