Thierry Gale Becomes Most Expensive Barbadian Footballer in History with $1.7M SK Rapid Wien Contract

Striker becomes most expensive footballer in Barbados’ history

By Anmar Goodridge-Boyce

Thierry Gale has become the most expensive Barbadian-born footballer, after signing a $1.7 million contract with Austrian giants SK Rapid Wien.

The 21-year-old striker made history on Tuesday when he completed his biggest transfer from Georgian side FC Dila Gori in the record deal.

The four-year agreement, under which he will be paid € 700 000 (BDS$1.5 million) plus €100 000 (BDS$219 374) add-ons, surpasses the BDS $932 000 which Queens Park Rangers paid Torquay United for Barbadian Gregory Lalu Goodridge in 1995.

He will play for the most successful club in Austria and will wear the No. 16 jersey in honour of former St Leonard’s Boys’ Secondary School teammate Dishon Howell who passed away recently.

Gale, who hails from Fairy Valley, Christ Church, travelled to Austria on Sunday to complete a medical and agree personal terms. His deal was unveiled in stunning fashion on the club’s official website and social media platforms with a video featuring Barbadian National Hero Rihanna’s hit song Shine Bright Like a Diamond.

Gale, the son of former Barbados national striker Dwayne Gale, has been sought after for the entire summer transfer window, with Danish giants FC Midtjylland who are currently fourth in the Superliga and Swiss powerhouses BSC Young Boys also battling for his signature.

SK Rapid Wien are currently sitting third in the Austrian Bundesliga and will be hoping Gale can strengthen their squad after they registered a famous win over Fiorentina in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League play-off.

Gale has made 10 appearances for the Barbados senior men’s national team, scoring twice.

In a statement, he said, “I come from a rather atypical footballing country and have always had to work very hard for everything in the past. I’m all the happier that the performances I showed didn’t go unnoticed by the club officials at SK Rapid.

“Rapid is a big club that has an international reputation and is also known far beyond national borders due to its incredible following. It’s the biggest transfer of my young career so far and I’ll do my best from day one to repay the trust placed in me with good performances. I’m really looking forward to the whole club, the fans and especially to my first home game,” he added.

Managing Director of Sport at Rapid Wien Markus Katzer described Gale as a great talent who he expects to improve at the club.

“Thierry is currently playing an outstanding national and international season, which is also underlined by his statistics. With his enormous speed and fine ball handling, he is an asset to our offence. He’s a type of player that we don’t have in the squad in that way. In addition, Thierry not only has a good goal finish, but also knows how to stage his teammates very well in the decisive moments,” Katzer said.

“We see far more potential in him than he has hitherto exploited and we want to help him achieve his maximum sporting performance at Rapid. We are proud that the player has chosen SK Rapid, even though many international clubs wanted to sign him.”

Meanwhile, head coach Zoran Barišić said Gale’s versatility will help the team.

“Thierry Gale is a very interesting offensive player who can be used on the wing and has many skills that make him stand out. We’ve watched him play a few games and I’m glad he chose Rapid. He is a fine footballer and I look forward to working with him with great confidence,” he said.

Meanwhile, President of the Barbados Football Association (BFA) Randy Harris hailed Gale’s accomplishment.

“The Barbados Football Association is delighted to hear of the movement of Thierry Gale. I think that this is the epitome of what can happen when a young footballer from anywhere in the world has the desire to make it as a professional player,” he said in a statement.

“I know young Gale and that was always his dream to be a pro. I don’t think that this is the end of it. This is just a beautiful start for Barbados and young Barbadian footballers and we at the BFA wish him all the best.”

Gale will play in the Austrian Bundesliga, once home to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland who is one of the best strikers in the world at the moment. Haaland played for FC Red Bull Salzburg.

The young Barbadian enjoyed his best season since becoming a pro at the age of 18, as he scored 10 goals and 12 assists in 19 matches for FC Dila Gori.

(AGB)