Stocksbridge Park Steels have confirmed the signing of Nathaniel Crofts.
Steels fans may be familiar with the 23-year-old winger as he has played for the club before. He was loaned to the club in the 2016/17 season from Sheffield United and he impressed in that stint. One performance fans will remember is when he scored the opener in the FA Trophy upset win over Stalybridge Celtic.
Since being released by Sheffield United, Crofts took the unique route of heading to America and joining the University of Virgina soccer team. The Virginia Cavaliers are a renowned college soccer side in the states, producing players such as Claudio Reyna and Sheffield Wednesday legend John Harkes.
Crofts impressed during his time with the Cavaliers, starting regularly and registering goals and assists a plenty. He was also named in the ACC All-Tournament team in 2019. This led to him being drafted in the Second Round of the MLS SuperDraft by Toronto FC in 2021. You can watch some of his highlights below.
Now though, Crofts has returned to Stocksbridge ahead of the 2021/2022 season and is looking to play a key part in Chris Hilton’s plans.
