North Carolina FC is pleased to welcome back a club legend who spent a half-decade with the Carolina RailHawks in goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. He becomes the 10th new signing for North Carolina FC ahead of the return to the USL Championship and the club now has 19 players under contract.
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Legen… dary
Fitzgerald played for the then-RailHawks from 2012 through 2016 and is the club’s all-time leader in games and minutes played among goalkeepers. He also ranks in the top-10 among all club players in both categories. He was the primary goalkeeper for the 2013 team that captured the NASL regular season title, starting 25 matches that season.
More Carolina Ties
Fitzgerald played his college soccer in North Carolina as a standout performer for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. In 71 collegiate matches, the keeper averaged less than a goal against per game and made 237 saves while collecting 26 clean sheets. During his three seasons as a starter, Wake Forest went to two College Cups and the team won the National Championship his freshman year.
Best of League One
Fitzgerald is the USL League One’s all-time leader in regular season minutes played with 10,832 and saves with 362. He also ranks second in clean sheets with 31, just one behind Rashid Nuhu. Across four seasons in Richmond, Fitzgerald made 121 appearances and racked up 362 saves. He has been nominated for USL League One Goalkeeper of the Year three times, taking home the award in 2021. He was also named to the USL League One All-League First Team in 2021 and the Second Team in 2022. Fitzgerald also assumed the role of goalkeeping coach for Richmond ahead of the 2021 season.
The North Carolina FC 2024 campaign begins on Saturday, March 9, when they host the Charleston Battery at WakeMed Soccer Park. Check out the full schedule here. Season ticket memberships and mini plans are on sale now.