Canadian-born striker who played in Germany explains how Irish League move happened as he looks to 'pursue my dreams'

The 19-year-old was born in Canada but most recently spent time playing in Germany’s fourth-tier with TSV Aubstadt, coming up against the likes of Bayern Munich II in Regionalliga Bayern – the highest league in the state of Bavaria.

Seeking more minutes, Degelman decided it would be best to start by looking at both the League of Ireland and Irish League with his grandfather born near Dublin, and that’s when he was put in contact with City chief Shea Campbell.

Degelman flew in for a trial last week before returning to Germany over the weekend to get things in order, including selling his car, and arrived back in Armagh on Monday evening to get settled into new surroundings.

It’s another brave move, but Degelman is determined to achieve his ambition of becoming a footballer at the highest level possible.

"I was born and raised in Canada and at 16 flew to Germany for trials and moved there to initially play academy football before moving into men's football,” he said. “It's not the most orthodox path but I'm willing to take risks to pursue my dreams and goals.

"Since November I knew I wanted to look at other options in the January window and had a couple of options in Germany but would have been going into a similar situation.

"I decided to start looking elsewhere...I was told that Armagh were looking for a striker and I could suit their needs potentially. I got Shea's number and he was happy to have me in to see me in training.

"I trained twice last week, loved the sessions and really liked the coaching staff. They were keen at the end of the week so offered me a deal, I went back to Germany to give it some thought and came to the decision that it was a good place to be."

Degelman will now benefit from picking the brain of former Irish League striker Campbell, who spent time at the likes of Ballymena United, Linfield, Glenavon and his beloved Armagh City before transitioning into management at Holm Park.

He successfully led the Eagles back into the Championship after securing promotion last term and has helped turn 20-year-old Igor Rutkowski into an attacking force this season – a path which Degelman will want to follow.

Degelman could make his debut in Saturday’s trip to Ballyclare Comrades and is looking to make the most of this new adventure.

"It was definitely more along the quick Google searching rather than the extensive knowledge!" Degelman added when asked how much prior knowledge he had of the Irish League. “I'm learning on the job about the league, the different teams, styles of play so it will be a learning curve for me.

"I'm looking forward to working with Shea because he was a striker too...he has the experience that I want to learn from.

"I'm just looking for an opportunity and talking to Shea he says I'll get a chance to contribute and impact games.

"I'm looking forward to playing regularly and I can't wait to get a chance to show what I can do.

"I understand that I don't have a lot of credit in the bank because I don't have a lot of senior experience, but I believe I can impact games and score goals...I want a chance to show I can do it and show my ability."