Wells In Action, Smith's Setback & Nesbeth Sidelined
IslandStats.com
Around the Globe - It's been another busy period for Bermuda's footballing talent across various leagues, with a mix of joy and frustration for our international stars.
Nahki Wells Plays for Luton Town
Striker Nahki Wells has wasted no time making an impact with his new club, Luton Town. Fresh off his recent signing, Wells played his first 30 minutes as they rounded off a productive week in Slovenia with a resounding 8-1 victory over Slovenian Second League outfit NK Triglav Kranj.
The match, played in four 30-minute periods, saw Luton run riot, particularly in the third and fourth quarters. Taylan Harris and Lasse Nordas both scored twice, while Zack Nelson, Vladimir Paternoster, Shandon Baptiste, and Jamie Odegah also found the back of the net. Wells's early involvement and his new team's dominant display will be a welcome sight for Luton Town fans and a positive start to his tenure.
Khano Smith's Rhode Island FC Suffer Defeat
Across the USL Championship, Khano Smith, head coach of Rhode Island FC, endured a tough outing on the road. After battling back to secure a 1-1 draw against Birmingham Legion FC in their previous match, Smith's side travelled to Michael A. Carroll Stadium to face Indy Eleven.
Unfortunately for Smith and his team, they were unable to build on their recent comeback, falling to a 1-0 defeat. Rhode Island FC will be looking to regroup quickly as they aim to climb the league table.
Leilanni Nesbeth Sidelined as Chicago Stars Fall
Meanwhile, in women's football, Leilanni Nesbeth remains on the sidelines as she recovers from an injury. Her Chicago Stars FC teammates were in action in the Teal Rising Cup, but suffered a 1-0 loss to Brazilian side Corinthians SC.
The match was described as a physical encounter with plenty of chances for Chicago, but a late goal in the third minute of added time in the second half proved decisive for the Brazilian visitors. The Chicago Stars will now play in the third-place match on Tuesday, July 15th, against the winner of the Kansas City versus Palmeiras fixture. Nesbeth will undoubtedly be eager to return to action and contribute to her team's efforts when fit.
Friday, July 11, 2025
Hunt Takes the Helm at Southampton Rangers
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In a significant move within Bermudian football, Quincy Hunt, formerly the head coach of PHC Zebras, has been announced as the new Head Coach of neighbors Southampton Rangers. The news, revealed by www.islandstats.com, sees Hunt make a swift return to the dugout after his departure from PHC at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Hunt had taken the reins at PHC Zebras in 2023, and his tenure concluded recently with Cecoy Robinson stepping into the role. Now, he embarks on a new challenge with the Rangers, a club he believes holds strong potential.
Speaking about his new appointment, Hunt highlighted the appeal of his new home. "Rangers have a home base, a foundation that was a main attraction," he stated. "The opportunity to continue coaching and the challenge to make a positive impact on. Hopefully I will be instilling a winning mentality to everyone involved, that comes from hard work commitment and the desire to be better all round.”
Hunt's arrival is expected to bring a fresh impetus to Southampton Rangers as they look to build for the upcoming season.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Reign Secure Record-Breaking Deal for Star Striker Fishel
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Seattle Reign FC have sent a clear message to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) with the acquisition of dynamic forward Mia Fishel, in a deal reportedly worth an unprecedented $2.5 million, making it the most valuable transfer in NWSL history. The 24-year-old arrives with a formidable reputation for finding the net and is poised to ignite the Reign's attack as they navigate the second half of the season.
Currently sitting in sixth place with 21 points, the Reign have made a solid start to their NWSL campaign. However, the arrival of Fishel signals a bold intent to push further up the table and challenge for honours.
Fishel brings a wealth of experience from her highly successful stints abroad. After being drafted by Orlando Pride in 2022, she opted to move to Mexican side Tigres, where she immediately made her mark. In her debut season, she was the league's top scorer as Tigres clinched the title. She continued her prolific form, adding another 13 goals before making the switch to European giants Chelsea.
Her two seasons with Chelsea were equally laden with silverware, as the London club secured back-to-back Women’s Super League titles, their sixth FA Women’s Cup (2024-25), and third FA Women’s League Cup (2024-25). Throughout her time with Tigres and Chelsea, Fishel has amassed a collective 40 goals, consistently proving her ability to dismantle even the most organised defences.
"My job is pretty easy as a nine – to score goals, be dangerous and create opportunities for the team to win," shared Fishel, brimming with confidence. "I mean, that's the whole point of the game is to score, so I think that I'm able to break down the defense in various ways, so it obviously depends on how we want to play game by game."
The United States Women’s National Team international, who boasts three caps and a goal for her country, is eager to embrace the unique challenges of the NWSL. "I think that in this league, it asks every team to make every game count, because it's all great teams, all competitive teams who have many great players," she explained. "It just makes it more competitive."
Fishel acknowledges the demanding nature of her new league: "I know I have to adapt to the game that kind of is asked in the NWSL, as well as the physicality. Sometimes in the NWSL, it’s kind of more like a chess match to try and take the team down and kind of know what works best. I feel like in the league, it’s going to be more just raw football, that is also fun as well.”
Joining a talented squad midway through the season, Fishel is particularly excited about linking up with former Chelsea teammate Ji So-Yun. "When I was at Chelsea, they brought up all Ji all the time," Fishel revealed. "She’s a top player who saw the game differently, saw spaces that other people wouldn’t see. Her skill set is very high and her technical ability is one of one. I’m really excited to connect with her, especially as a ten. You know that connection between nine and ten is the most special, so I’m really excited to connect with her and see how she likes to play and hopefully make a dangerous duo out of that.”
The arrival of Mia Fishel is set to be one of the defining moves of the NWSL season, and all eyes will be on her as she looks to translate her prolific goalscoring record onto the American stage.
Thursday, July 10, 2025
Luton Town Complete Signing of Nahki Wells
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Matt Bloomfield has strengthened his attacking options with the signing of experienced striker Nahki Wells.
The 35-year-old arrives after five-and-a-half years of service at Bristol City where he scored 48 times in 237 appearances across all competitions for the Robins.
The Bermudian international frontman scored 10 times last term as City reached the Championship top-six, where his experience was invaluable to one of the youngest sides in the second tier. Wells was also named City’s PFA Community Champion in May 2025 having been nominated for his contributions to the local community.
The scorer of 174 goals since he arrived in England from Bermuda when joining Carlisle in December 2010, Wells has a proven track record in front of goal.
It was at Bradford that he first made his name. He hit 53 goals in 112 games across two-and-a-half seasons, helping fire the Bantams to promotion via the play-offs from League Two in 2012/13.
A move to Huddersfield followed midway through the 2013/14 season where he continued his goalscoring touch.
A total of 49 goals in 152 games in the Championship cumulated in promotion to the Premier League when the Terriers won the play-off final at Wembley in 2017.
A move to Burnley in 2017/18 did not work out and the striker spent two seasons on-loan at QPR, scoring 20 Championship goals for the Hoops, before he moved to Bristol City in 2019/20 where he would go on to be a consistent performer in five-and-a-half seasons at Ashton Gate.
Manager Matt Bloomfield said: “Nahki is a proven goalscorer, has fantastic experience and good leadership too. He’s someone with extreme know-how and a real desire to still go and score goals, a real desire to go and achieve something and a real desire to be a part of what we are building.
“He is someone who is so highly thought of in the world of football. Some of the references I had about him were just incredible.
"He is someone who is obviously really well-known and liked within the game, highly respected and someone with a real know-how in the penalty area, which is what we’re really pleased to be bringing into the building.”
Tuesday, July 08, 2025
Keishen Bean Joins Robin Hood as Player-Coach
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Robin Hood FC has announced a significant acquisition for the upcoming 2025-2026 senior men’s football season, welcoming former Bermudian international Keishen Bean to the club in a dual player-coach role. This strategic move aims to strengthen the squad on the pitch while simultaneously aiding the development of Robin Hood’s promising young talents.
Bean, a highly respected figure in Bermudian football, brings a wealth of experience to the Shed Lane club. The former North Village Rams striker boasts a notable career that includes stints with the Bermuda Hogges in the USL Second Division before transferring to Ottawa Fury in the PDL. He also played collegiately with the CBU Capers of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS), where he earned recognition as a 2009 AUS first-team all-star. Bean’s standout 2011 season with the Hogges saw him earn PDL 1st Team All-Conference honours, and he continued his success into the 2011 Cape Breton CIS season, earning CIS Athlete of the Week accolades.
Most recently, Bean spent a season playing with St. David’s, continuing to demonstrate his prowess and leadership. His return to the Premier Division with Robin Hood marks a new chapter in his illustrious career.
New Head Coach Sergio Goater will be looking to leverage Bean's extensive playing knowledge and understanding of the local game to both bolster the first team's performance and mentor the club’s emerging players, ensuring a strong foundation for the future of Robin Hood FC.
