PHOENIX – Phoenix Rising FC announced on Wednesday the club had signed Venezuelan winger Erickson Gallardo ahead of the 2023 USL Championship season. The signing is pending league and federation approval.

“Erickson will bring a lot of speed and verticality,” said Rising FC Head Coach Juan Guerra. “He is a player that has won important titles. He is coming to Phoenix with a lot of hunger and ambition. I have no doubt our fans will enjoy watching him play.”

Gallardo made his professional debut as a 17-year-old for Zamora of the Venezuelan First Division in 2013. He spent seven years with his hometown club, making 117 appearances and scoring 11 goals before signing with Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, in 2019. Gallardo made 11 appearances for TFC between 2019 and 2021, during which time the Canadian club claimed the 2019 MLS Eastern Conference championship.

The 26-year-old returned to Zamora in 2022 and scored 10 goals in 31 appearances this past season. He has been capped three times since debuting for Venezuela in 2019, including a pair of appearances this past September in exhibitions against Iceland and the United Arab Emirates.