Miguel Arilla is the latest Creighton Bluejay to make his way to the Wanderers
Sitting in his college dorm room in Omaha, NE, Spanish winger Miguel Arilla takes a moment to consider the question. No, he says, he's never been to Canada. But that'll all change on February 1st as he flies to Halifax to get settled before the Wanderers begin training camp.
"Being from Spain, it's kind of weird because the weather there is sunny, it's warm the whole year. I don't think (the cold) will be a problem," he says. "I'm really looking forward to the start, getting there and starting pre-season."
Arilla is the latest Creighton University alumni to sign with the Wanderers. Previously, midfielders Callum Watson (2023) and Giorgio Probo (2024) made the leap from collegiate football to the professional ranks. That familiarity between Creighton and the Wanderers played a part in the 23-year old Arilla's recruitment as he spoke to Probo ahead of making a decision.
"I asked him about the league, how he felt in the club, in the city and he only shared good thoughts and good words about the level of it. That helped me be more decisive," he explains, adding he relished the opportunity to play in a tier one league.
Having grown up in Valencia's academy in Spain, with time spent across their youth levels, Arilla's attacking ability shone at Creighton. He registered 14 goals and 15 assists across three seasons playing a variety of positions, a skill he notes raised his stock with Wanderers head coach and manager Vanni Sartini. Arilla says he's comfortable on the left or right wing, not to mention playing as a classic No. 10, meaning he's tactically adept and able to create from anywhere in the final third.
Scoring, of course, remains a highlight.
"I think I'm good one-versus-one dribbling, going forward, being progressive in the last third and moving with good teammates that play and move around," he says.
"I really like scoring, of course. It's the best feeling in (football). But I think it's very important to make the right decisions. Sometimes, you have the space to shoot but your teammate is a little bit better positioned. It's just about making those right decisions. Team success is the goal."
The Wanderers, who finished fourth on the table last season, are in the midst of a rebuild following the appointment of Sartini. It's expected that they'll make tweaks to their style of play which featured a back three in 2025 but will be shaped to their Italian gaffer's strategic tastes. Arilla says the Bluejays also played an aggressive, press-heavy system with a back three and hopes to fit seamlessly into his new club following three years in Omaha.
"(Vanni's system) is kind of following the same path in terms of playing, tactics, the way we press, the way we play. Vanni told me it's a positive that I can play in three different positions depending on what the game is asking," he says.
"It fits perfect with my way of playing."
It remains to be seen how Sartini ultimately sets up his starting XI but with Arilla's addition, the Wanderers have another attacking option with Tiago Coimbra, Ryan Telfer, Tavio Ciccarelli, Jason Bahamboula and Yohan Baï all under contract.
Cover Photo Credit: Contributed
