Shannon Gomez
Quick Facts
Biography
Shannon Gomez (born 5 October 1996) is a Trinidadian international footballer who currently plays for New York City FC in Major League Soccer.
Career
Youth
Gomez attended Carapichaima RC Primary and St Augustine Secondary School as a child. Representing the school as captain, he lifted the Intercol title in 2013 after beating Fatima College.
He later lined-up for Waterloo Institute, before earning a move to Cap Off Youths. Gomez also played for St Mary's United, before joining San Juan Jabloeth.
Professional
He joined TT Pro League club W Connection in August 2014, finishing second in his inaugural season and qualifying for the 2016 CFU Club Championship Preliminary round. Gomez played every minute of the Savonetta Boys four-game run in the 2015-16 CONCACAF Champions League, notably recording a 2-1 victory over Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa.
In March 2016, Gomez joined MLS side New York City FC as a Discovery Signing on loan from W Connection. He joined the club for their final pre-season camp of 2016 and later signed a contract with the club. Gomez holds a green card holder, meaning he does not require an international roster spot. New York City FC have the option to sign the right-back ahead of the 2017 MLS campaign.
He was named on the bench in a 0-0 draw with Chicago Fire on April 11, but did not make his first team debut. Gomez will return to Trinidad & Tobago club W Connection on December 31, 2016.
On November 28, 2016 NYCFC announced they had exercised their option to make Gomez a permanent squad member.
International career
Gomez's first international involvement came with the Trindad & Tobago Under-17s on July 2015, 2012, making his debut in a 23-0 win over British Virgin Islands Under-17s. He made a further five appearances for the youth side, with his last cap coming in April 2013.
He made his debut for the Trinidad & Tobago Under-20s on January 10, 2015 in a 2-2 draw with Jamaica Under-20s. He soon gained a further four caps as captain during the month. Gomez played a single minute for the Under-21s in a 3-0 win over St Vincent & The Grenadines in August 2013, and made his debut for the Trinidad & Tobago Under-22s on July 13, 2015, appearing in a 4-0 defeat to Uruguay Under-22s. He also played in defeats to Paraguay Under-22s and Mexico Under-22s.
He made his international debut for Trinidad & Tobago on March 28, 2015 in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Panama. He played for 77 minutes before being replaced by Jomal WIlliams. Gomez made his second international appearance in a friendly on June 6, 2015, featuring for seven minutes in a 1-0 loss to CuraƧao.