Forward Madison has signed 27-year-old midfielder Andrew Wheeler-Omiunu. Originally from Massachusetts, the MLS Cup winning-defensive midfielder joins the Flamingos from Sacramento Republic FC of the USL Championship.
“I want to come in and make as much of a positive impact as I can for the club on and off the field,” Wheeler-Omiunu said. “The collaborative nature of our sport is something that is very special, and for me, if one of us struggles, we all struggle. Conversely, if one of us eats, we all eat. So my goal is to try and be a person in the team that helps bring us together and drive us all forward as a group. Hopefully we will all be well fed come the end of the year.”
Wheeler-Omiunu played collegiately for Harvard Crimson, where he captained the squad during his junior year and was a 2x All-Ivy League First Team honoree. Upon graduating, he played one season for Seattle Sounders FC before joining Atlanta United. During his time with Atlanta United, Wheeler-Omiunu contributed to their 2018 MLS Cup win.
In 2019, Wheeler-Omiunu joined USL League One squad FC Tucson, where he was awarded USL League One Team of the Week twice and was second on the team in Tackles, Duels, Duels Won, and Interceptions. He was temporarily loaned to USL Championship side Phoenix Rising FC during the 2019 season, making six appearances.
This past season, Wheeler-Omiunu played for Sacramento Republic FC out of the USL Championship. Wheeler-Omiunu made 19 appearances and tallied 1,314 minutes for Sacramento in 2021.
Having previously played under newly appointed FMFC Head Coach Matt Glaeser, Wheeler-Omiunu is eager to join him at Forward Madison. “I have a great deal of respect for Coach Glaeser,” Wheeler-Omiunu said. “I think he has a high soccer intelligence, a really strong work ethic, and an excellent demeanor and approach to how he prepares and expresses his ideas. I imagine those qualities will continue to lead to a lot of individual success for us this year. And ultimately, working with people with exceptional character is one of the things I cherish most about my time in football. So anytime I get the opportunity to work with someone like Coach Glaeser in that regard, I am grateful.”
