MADISON, Wis. - Forward Madison FC announced on Thursday that the club has signed winger Derek Gebhard to its 2021 squad, pending league and federation approval.

The 25-year-old Gebhard is a winger with six years of experience playing in the USL Championship. He scored the first goal in El Paso Locomotive FC's history in 2018, before moving on to OKC Energy FC and most recently the Charlotte Independence, where he spent the 2020 campaign.

"When I spoke to [Madison Head Coach] Carl Craig, he talked to me a lot about the culture he’s trying to create, how he’s trying to have a team that’s one with the community," Gebhard said. "Coming to Madison will be a great chance to keep playing, but also to get back to what I love about football. I think that, in turn, will take my game to the next level."

Gebhard joins former Greenville Triumph SC forward Jake Keegan as additions to the new-look Forward Madison frontline in 2021.

"Derek has been at a couple of highly-respected clubs and he’s got bags of experience at the Championship level," Craig said. "His ability to beat people one-on-one and his physical speed fits right in with how we’re looking to play. Derek brings more forward thrust to our attack and that’s an essential part of the big picture."