Roy Syla
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Roy Syla
| image = Roy Syla, Brentford F.C. footballer.jpg
| caption = Syla playing for Brentford B in April 2022.
| upright = 0.8
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|2000|6|20}}
| birth_place = London, England{{Soccerway|id=555614|accessdate=24 October 2021}}
| position = Defensive midfielder
| currentclub = Bylis
| clubnumber = 4
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–2018
| youthclubs1 = Barnet
| years1 = 2018–2020
| clubs1 = Barnet
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2018–2019
| clubs2 = → Kings Langley (loan)
| caps2 = 17
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2019
| clubs3 = → Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan)
| caps3 = 5
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2021–2022
| clubs4 = Brentford
| caps4 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2022–2023
| clubs5 = Brentford
| caps5 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2023–2025
| clubs6 = Ayr United
| caps6 = 33
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 2025–
| clubs7 = Bylis
| caps7 = 2
| goals7 = 0
| club-update = 18:02, 3 May 2025 (UTC)
| nationalyears1 = 2016
| nationalteam1 = Albania U17
| nationalcaps1 = 1
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = Albania U19
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = Albania U20
| nationalcaps3 = 1
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2022
| nationalteam4 = Albania U21
| nationalcaps4 = 3
| nationalgoals4 = 0
}}
Roy Syla (born 9 October 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Kategoria Superiore club Bylis.
Syla is a product of the Barnet academy, but he failed to break into the first team squad prior to his release in 2020. Following more than a year as a free agent, he transferred to Brentford in 2021. After two seasons of exclusively B team football, Syla's senior career began in earnest with Ayr United in 2023. He transferred to Albanian club Bylis in 2025. Born in England, Syla was capped by Albania at youth level.
Club career
= Barnet =
A defensive midfielder,{{Cite web |title=Roy Syla: Making every minute count |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/brentford-b-team-roy-syla-making-every-minute-count |access-date=24 April 2023 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}} Syla began his career with Barnet at the age of 12 and he progressed through the club's academy to sign a professional contract in March 2018.{{Cite web |last=Harris |first=Jay |title=Brentford youngster Roy Syla: 'I was coming from Barnet and there were players from Inter, Juventus and Olympiakos' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/3251789/2022/04/15/brentford-youngster-roy-syla-i-was-coming-from-barnet-and-there-were-players-from-inter-juventus-and-olympiakos/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=30 April 2022 |website=The Athletic |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=News {{!}} Roy Syla signs professional Barnet contract |url=https://barnetfc.com/news-roy-syla-signs-professional-barnet-contract |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=Barnet Football Club |language=en-US}} He spent a large portion of the 2018–19 season away on loan at fellow non-League clubs Kings Langley and Hampton & Richmond Borough and remained at The Hive for 2019–20.{{Cite web |title=Loan {{!}} Roy Syla joins Kings Langley |url=https://barnetfc.com/loan-roy-syla-joins-kings-langley |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=Barnet Football Club |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=7 March 2021 |title=Loan {{!}} Nana Kyei and Roy Syla join Hampton & Richmond Borough |url=https://www.barnetfc.com/news/2019/january/loan--nana-kyei-and-roy-syla-join-hampton--richmond-borough/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210307053314/https://www.barnetfc.com/news/2019/january/loan--nana-kyei-and-roy-syla-join-hampton--richmond-borough/ |archive-date=7 March 2021 |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=Barnet Football Club}} Syla was released at the end of the COVID-19-affected 2019–20 season.{{Cite web |date=23 August 2020 |title=Twelve players departing Barnet |url=https://nonleaguedaily.com/twelve-players-departing-barnet/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200823124818/https://nonleaguedaily.com/twelve-players-departing-barnet/ |archive-date=23 August 2020 |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=Non League Daily}} He made two senior appearances for Barnet, both in Middlesex Senior Cup matches.
= Brentford =
On 23 October 2021, Syla joined the B team at Premier League club Brentford on a one-year contract, with the option of a further year, on a free transfer.{{Cite web |title=Roy Syla joins Brentford B |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2021/october/roy-syla-joins-brentford-b/ |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}} He had spent periods of the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons on trial with the team and was a part of the 2021–22 London Senior Cup-winning squad.{{Cite web |title=Match Report: Brentford B win London Senior Cup on penalties |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2022/april/match-report-brentford-b-v-hendon/ |access-date=26 April 2022 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}} Late in the 2021–22 season, he participated in a first team training session. Following 26 appearances for the B team during the 2021–22 season, Syla was released when his contract expired.{{Cite web |title=Brentford B Squad Update |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2022/may/brentford-b-squad-update/ |access-date=25 May 2022 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}}
Syla was re-signed as a free agent on 20 October 2022 and signed a one-year contract, with a one-year option.{{Cite tweet|number=1583035307624112134|user=BrentfordFC|title=✍️ We can confirm that midfield player Roy Syla has returned to #BrentfordB and has signed a one-year contract with an option of an additional year. Welcome back, Roy! #BrentfordFC}} Despite being a B team player, but by virtue of being overage, Syla was named in Brentford's 25-man Premier League squad for the second half of the 2022–23 season.{{Cite web |title=Updated Premier League squad lists for 2022/23 |url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/3044867 |access-date=4 February 2023 |website=www.premierleague.com |language=en}} He was released at the end of the 2022–23 season.{{Cite web |title=Brentford B squad update |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/brentford-b-team-brentford-b-squad-update |access-date=1 June 2023 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}}
= Ayr United =
On 29 August 2023, Syla signed a two-year contract with Scottish Championship club Ayr United on a free transfer.{{Cite web |title=Roy Syla Signs |url=https://ayrunitedfc.co.uk/roy-syla-signs |access-date=1 September 2023 |website=Ayr United FC |language=en-gb}} He made 28 appearances and scored two goals during a mid-table 2023–24 season.{{Fchd|id=AYRUTD|name=Ayr United F.C.}} Syla appeared sparingly during the first half of the 2024–25 season and his contract was terminated by mutual consent on 16 January 2025.{{Cite web |title=Roy Syla Departs |url=https://ayrunitedfc.co.uk/roy-syla-departs |access-date=24 January 2025 |website=Ayr United FC |language=en-gb}} He made 40 appearances and scored two goals during 17 months at Somerset Park.
= KF Bylis =
After a trial with Boavista,{{Cite news |date=22 January 2025 |title=Kenzie's Living The Dream |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/ayrshire-post-carrick/20250122/282269556064910 |access-date=23 January 2025 |work=Ayrshire Post}} Syla began making appearances for Albanian Kategoria Superiore club Bylis in March 2025. He made two substitute appearances during the remainder of the 2024–25 season.
International career
Syla was capped by Albania at U17, U19, U20 and U21 level.{{Cite web |title=International Recap: March 2022 |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/news/2022/march/international-review-march-2022/ |access-date=31 March 2022 |website=www.brentfordfc.com |language=en-gb}} He was a member of the U17 team's 2016 Kazakhstan President Cup squad and captained the U19 team to the final of the 2018 Roma Caput Mundi International Tournament.{{Cite web |date=29 July 2016 |title=Kombëtarja U-17, grumbullohet për në Kazakistan |url=https://fshf.org/sq/kombetarja-u-17-grumbullohet-per-ne-kazakistan/ |access-date=17 November 2021 |website=FSHF |language=sq}}
Personal life
Career statistics
{{Updated|match played 27 April 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes FA Cup, Scottish Cup}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes Scottish League Cup}} ! colspan="2" |Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals
!Apps !Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3" |Barnet
|2018–19{{Cite web |title=Roy Syla Profile |url=http://www.aylesburyunitedfc.co.uk/players/roy-syla |access-date=24 October 2021 |website=Aylesbury United FC}} |0 |0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |― |1Appearance in Middlesex Senior Cup |0 |1 |0 | ||||||||
| 2019–20
|National League |0 |0 |0 |0 | colspan="2" |― |0 |1 |0 | ||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!0 !0 !0 !0 ! colspan="2" |― !2 !0 !2 !0 | ||||||||
| Kings Langley (loan)
|Southern League Premier Division South |17 |0 |2 |0 | colspan="2" |― |0 |20 |0 | ||||||||
| Hampton & Richmond Borough (loan)
|5 |0 | colspan="2" |― | colspan="2" |― |1Appearance in Middlesex Senior Charity Cup |0 |6 |0 | ||||||||
| rowspan="3" |Ayr United
|2023–24{{Soccerbase season|id=113778|season=2023|access-date=1 September 2023}} |24 |1 |3 |1 | colspan="2" |― |1Appearance in Scottish Challenge Cup |0 |28 |2 | ||||||||
| 2024–25{{Soccerbase season|id=113778|season=2024|access-date=27 July 2024}}
|Scottish Championship |9 |0 |0 |0 |2 |0 |0 |12 |0 | ||||||||
| colspan="2" |Total
!33 !1 !3 !1 !2 !0 !2 !0 !40 !2 | ||||||||
| Bylis
|2 |0 | colspan="2" |― | colspan="2" |― | colspan="2" |― |2 |0 | ||||||||
| colspan="3" |Career total
!47 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0
!6 !0 | 70 | 2 |
Honours
Brentford B
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{soccerbase|113778}}
- {{UEFA player|id=250171257}}
{{KF Bylis squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Syla, Roy}}
Category:Brentford F.C. players
Category:Southern Football League players
Category:National League (English football) players
Category:Kings Langley F.C. players
Category:Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C. players
Category:Sportspeople from London
Category:English people of Albanian descent
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players
Category:Ayr United F.C. players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Albania men's youth international footballers
Category:Albania men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Kategoria Superiore players