Promising Latvian center-back Niks Sliede has been announced as the new FC RFS player. He has signed a long-term contract with the current Latvian Virslīga and Latvian Cup champions.
The 20-year-old defender is returning to FC RFS, having first joined the club from the Liepāja football academy in 2020. That same year, he made his Virslīga debut with RFS, although he primarily played for their second team.
A year later, the promising Latvian under-International was loaned out for six months to a club in Croatia. After returning to RFS to gain more playing time, he was loaned to FK Tukums 2000/Telms, where he made 27 appearances and experienced his first real season as a professional football player.
Following his successful season at Tukums, at the time Virslīga champions Valmiera FC bought him from FC RFS. During his two seasons at Valmiera, Niks became a starting player, making 45 appearances and scoring two goals.
Last season, he was the first-choice center-back under coaches Jurģis Kalns and later Gatis Kalniņš. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to a non-contact injury sustained against FC RFS, which resulted in a foot fracture.
Niks Sliede expressed his excitement about his return, saying, “Coming back to the team feels pleasant and easy because I have already worked with most players, coaches, and staff. I feel very good, but I still need time to get in shape and regain confidence after missing a period due to injury. That’s what preseason is for. I’m looking forward to getting back on the field.”