Skylar Thomas

{{short description|Canadian professional soccer player (born 1993)}}

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Skylar Thomas

|image = Skylar Thomas 2022.jpg

|image_size =

|caption = Thomas in 2022

|fullname = Skylar Rutherford Thomas

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|7|27}}

|birth_place = Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

|height = 1.93 m

|position = Centre-back

|currentclub =

|clubnumber =

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Pickering SC

|youthyears2 = 2012

|youthclubs2 = Toronto FC

|collegeyears1 = 2011–2014

|college1 = Syracuse Orange

|collegecaps1 = 56

|collegegoals1 = 8

|years1 = 2014

|clubs1 = Reading United

|caps1 = 6

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 2015–2016

|clubs2 = Toronto FC II

|caps2 = 47

|goals2 = 4

|years3 = 2017–2018

|clubs3 = Charleston Battery

|caps3 = 49

|goals3 = 1

|years4 = 2019

|clubs4 = Valour FC

|caps4 = 22

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 2020

|clubs5 = Pittsburgh Riverhounds

|caps5 = 16

|goals5 = 1

|years6 = 2021

|clubs6 = Memphis 901

|caps6 = 29

|goals6 = 2

|nationalyears1 = 2015–2016

|nationalteam1 = Canada U23

|nationalcaps1 = 7

|nationalgoals1 = 1

|medaltemplates =

|club-update =

|nationalteam-update =

}}

Skylar Rutherford Thomas (born July 27, 1993) is a former Canadian professional soccer player.

Club career

=Early career=

Thomas began playing soccer at age six with Pickering SC.{{cite web |title=Skylar Thomas |url=https://canadasoccer.com/?pid=3159&t=profile& |publisher=Canada Soccer |accessdate=14 January 2019}}

Thomas attended Syracuse University for four years, playing for the Orange.{{cite web |title=Skylar Thomas |url=https://cuse.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=10278 |publisher=Syracuse University |accessdate=14 January 2019}} During his senior year at Syracuse in 2014, he was named All-ACC Second Team and NSCAA All-South Region Second Team.{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toronto-fc-ii-announces-signing-eight-players|title=Toronto FC II announces signing of eight players|date=March 12, 2015|access-date=March 20, 2015|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002204735/https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2015/03/12/toronto-fc-ii-announces-signing-eight-players|url-status=live}} In 2012, he played with TFC Academy in the Canadian Soccer League.{{Cite web|url=http://www.torontofc.ca/academy/teams/roster-senior |title=Senior Squad |date=July 1, 2012 |access-date=February 24, 2017 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701073639/http://www.torontofc.ca/academy/teams/roster-senior |archivedate=July 1, 2012 }}

=Toronto FC II=

Thomas was drafted in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC on January 15, 2015.{{cite web|url=https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toronto-fc-selects-skylar-thomas-11th-pick-mls-superdraft|title=Toronto FC selects Skylar Thomas with 11th pick in MLS SuperDraft|date=January 15, 2015}} On March 12 it was announced that he had signed with Toronto's affiliate team, Toronto FC II in the USL ahead of their inaugural season.{{cite web|url=http://www.wakingthered.com/tfcii/2015/3/12/8199379/toronto-fc-ii-sign-eight-players|title=Toronto FC II sign eight players|first=Dave|last=Rowaan|date=March 12, 2015}} He made his debut on April 19 against Whitecaps FC 2 as a substitute for Daniel Fabrizi.

=Charleston Battery=

Thomas would sign with Charleston Battery for the 2017 season, and would appear in 8 of the team's 13 clean sheets. Upon completion of the 2017 season, Thomas would have his option with the club exercised for the 2018 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.charlestonbattery.com/news_article/show/862926?referrer_id=2605045|title=Nine return to Charleston Battery for 2018|website=Charleston Battery|date=December 4, 2017}}

=Valour FC=

Thomas signed for Canadian Premier League club Valour FC in November 2018, having played previously for head coach Rob Gale with the Canadian U-23 national team.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/ledgerwood-bekker-lead-first-wave-canadian-premier-league-signings/|title=Ledgerwood, Bekker lead first wave of Canadian Premier League signings|date=November 29, 2018}} Upon signing with Valour, Thomas indicated he wanted to be a part of building the league.{{cite web|url=https://canpl.ca/article/previously-lost-in-u-s-league-valours-skylar-thomas-targets-national-team-return|title=Previously 'lost' in U.S. league, Valour's Skylar Thomas targets national team return|website=Canadian Premier League|date=January 5, 2019}}

=Pittsburgh Riverhounds=

On February 25, 2020, Thomas joined Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC ahead of the 2020 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.riverhounds.com/news_article/show/1090100|title=HOUNDS SIGN DEFENDER SKYLAR THOMAS, GOALKEEPER DANNY VITIELLO|website=riverhounds.com|date=February 25, 2020}}

=Memphis 901=

On March 22, 2021, Thomas moved to USL Championship side Memphis 901.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1153844|title=Memphis Brings Aboard Canadian Defender Skylar Thomas|date=March 22, 2021}}

International career

Thomas has represented Canada at the U18 and U20 level, appearing in camps for both in 2011 and 2012, respectively.{{cite web|url=http://canadasoccer.com/?t=2014_project.tpl&sid=685|title=[2012-07] Men's U-20 camp|accessdate=March 12, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://canadasoccer.com/?t=2014_project.tpl&sid=551|title=[2011-01] Men's U-18 camp|accessdate=March 12, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://canadasoccer.com/?t=2014_project.tpl&sid=552|title=[2011-12] Men's U-18 camp|accessdate=March 12, 2015}}

In May 2016, Thomas was called to Canada's U23 national team for a pair of friendlies against Guyana and Grenada.{{cite web|url=http://canadasoccer.com/canada-announces-roster-for-caribbean-tour-p159488|title=Canada announces roster for Caribbean tour|author=Canada Soccer Association|accessdate=May 19, 2016|archive-date=August 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803131824/https://canadasoccer.com/canada-announces-roster-for-caribbean-tour-p159488|url-status=dead}} He saw action in both matches.{{cite web|url=http://canadasoccer.com/canada-m23-wins-again-on-caribbean-tour-p159531|title=Canada m23 wins again on Caribbean tour|author=Canada Soccer Association|accessdate=May 19, 2016|archive-date=July 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728190904/https://canadasoccer.com/canada-m23-wins-again-on-caribbean-tour-p159531|url-status=dead}}

Personal life

Thomas was born in Scarborough, Ontario, to a Canadian mother and a Trinidadian father. When he was five, his family moved to Pickering. In 2019, Thomas joined the athletics ambassador team for a children's charity organization known as Their Opportunity.{{Cite web |title=Their Opportunity - Our Team |url=https://www.theiropportunity.com/our-team |access-date=29 October 2024 |website=Their Opportunity |language=en}}