ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced on Wednesday it had signed Northern Irish midfielder Ollie Bassett as the club’s first new signing for the 2025 USL Championship season. The transaction is pending league and federation approval.

Bassett joins the Rowdies following a stellar three-season stint with Atlético Ottawa in the Canadian Premier League. He helped Ottawa claim the 2022 regular season title while earning the league’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year honors as he recorded eight goals and two assists in his first season with the club.

The 26-year-old followed that with a career-high 11 goals during the 2023 campaign to win the CPL Golden Boot. Bassett finished his run with Ottawa as the club’s all-time leader in appearances, goals, and assists.

“We’re excited to have Ollie on the squad for the 2025 season,” said Rowdies Head Coach Robbie Neilson. “Ollie will bring great energy and high quality in the attack, which will translate to more goals for the team. After his great run in the Canadian Premier League the last few seasons, we look forward to helping Ollie continue his development with us in the USL Championship.”

Before signing with Ottawa, Basset was a regular contributor for Pacific FC during the 2021 season as the club captured its first CPL title in the playoffs.

“I want to test myself in a new league and a new environment,” said Bassett. “The USL Championship and the Rowdies seemed like a viable move to take the next step in my career. For me, Tampa Bay was my number one choice and ideal destination in this league. I’ve heard good things about how the club is run and Tampa Bay as a place to live. When the offer was put forward, it didn’t take long to get it moving and get it signed.”

Analysis
The Tampa Bay Rowdies’ addition of midfielder Ollie Bassett is an intriguing one that offers creative promise in the center of midfield for the Eastern Conference contender. Bassett was among the premier midfielders in the Canadian Premier League over the past three seasons – earning CPL Best XI honors in addition to his Player of the Year award in 2022 with Atlético Ottawa when he led the side to the regular season title.

This past campaign, Bassett continued to be a strong two-way performer with four goals, four assists and 52 chances created across the regular season and playoffs and another two goals in the Canadian Championship, while also winning 32 tackles at an 82.1 percent success rate and winning possession 24 times in the attacking third of the field.

The question for Bassett will be the transition from the CanPL to the USL Championship. While there has never been a player with the 26-year-old’s resume make the move to the league previously – those that have made the move previously include the likes of new Rowdies teammate Pacifique Niyongabire and Rhode Island FC Karifa Yao last offseason – there has yet to be a player who has broken out at the level of accomplishment Bassett was achieving north of the border.

If he can acclimate quickly to his new surroundings and achieve the same success he did in Ottawa, it could be a game-changing signing for Tampa Bay.