ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Thursday the club had signed defender Ian Antley through the remainder of the 2022 USL Championship season.

Tampa Bay originally signed the 27-year-old defender to a 25-day day contract ahead of the club’s road match against Loudoun United FC on Saturday, July 16. Antley appeared off the bench in the Rowdies’ 3-1 victory that night in Loudoun.

Ian Antley is the younger – by 30 minutes – twin brother of Rowdies defender Conner Antley, who is now in his second season in Tampa Bay. The brothers graduated from Mercer University in Georgia, where they both grew up and played together as youth soccer players. Ian ended his four-year college career at Mercer with 56 appearances before moving on to gain experience in USL League Two with the Sounders FC U-23 and Birmingham Hammers.

Before signing with the Rowdies, Ian was under contract with the Richmond Kickers in USL League One. An ACL injury cut his 2021 season in Richmond short, and Ian has been working his way back to fitness while in training with the Rowdies over the past few months.