Riley Ferrazzo has always believed in his abilities. Now, in his second pro season, he's finding his groove for the Wanderers

"Who would make the best pilot?"

The question — asked by OneSoccer's Adam Jenkins — visibly surprises Halifax Wanderers head coach Patrice Gheisar but after a moment of reflection, he smiles. One player stands out in his mind immediately.

"Riley Ferrazzo. He's all over the field, he's fearless, he generally doesn't follow the plan because he's so energetic. I figure those would be some criteria for being a pilot," says Gheisar.

It's some of these same qualities that make Ferrazzo a useful footballer, one Gheisar has increasingly chosen for his starting XI as the club hunts for its elusive first win of 2024. When they were together at League1 Ontario's Vaughan Azzurri, Gheisar most often used Ferrazzo as a full-back but the 24-year old Toronto-native has always been a bit of a Swiss Army knife, someone his coaches could plug and play across the pitch.

Ferrazzo's versatility is one of his best assets and speaks to his IQ as a footballer. But it has also led to instability, something that can wreak havoc on professionals looking to make their mark with a new club and in a new league, as Ferrazzo was last year after making the jump with Gheisar from Vaughan Azzurri.

And like a pilot who relies on bravado, Ferrazzo says he knows he needs to have the attitude that he can deliver no matter what position he's tapped to play in any given match.

"Believing in yourself is so important," he tells The Wanderers Notebook. "There's a lot of times where you might not get into the team, you might come off the bench, just staying mentally ready, telling yourself when the moment comes — and it will come — you're going to be ready to deliver. It's something I've tried to work on in the last year and a half of being a pro."

Ferrazzo's first professional start was Halifax's first match of last year, playing as an inverting right-back against Atlético Ottawa at TD Place. Over the course of the season, he'd also play as a left-back, attacking midfielder and winger, always accumulating minutes but never really getting into a groove of starts. He ended the season with 24 appearances across all competitions for the Wanderers.

And although this year hasn't started how anyone expected, Ferrazzo has already celebrated some personal milestones, including scoring his first professional goal on April 27. He recorded his second of the season — also versus Atlético Ottawa — on June 2, tying him as the club goal scoring leader this year with Massimo Ferrin and Ryan Telfer.

When asked what it felt like to mark his first professional goal, Ferrazzo says he was happy to do it at the Wanderers Grounds.

"To do it in front of the home fans was awesome. Albeit, not the result we wanted but it's kind of one of those things you can't really describe. Just a huge, uplifting feeling," he explains. "But it's just important not to get too high on the moments, and of course the goals, and just focus on next week and trying to replicate the performance and energy."

Football is a sport of momentum, both for clubs and players, and Ferrazzo feels the Wanderers are starting to come around after the worst start in CPL history. They've had challenges, sure, but they're recent performances against Atlético Ottawa, Pacific and Forge show signs of what they can become.

"The season hasn't gone the way we wanted so far. But these are the moments, these are the games, where you need to build your confidence up and take the good as opposed to the bad," he says.

Although the Wanderers added several veteran players this year, the core of their squad is only in its second professional season. There are peaks and valleys to learning a craft, especially football, and Ferrazzo is eager to absorb as much information as he can.

Like a writer collecting metaphors, Ferrazzo says he draws inspiration from watching his beloved Inter Milan and other leagues across the world. And when asked if there were particular skills he admires from his fellow Wanderers, Ferrazzo pointed to midfielder Lorenzo Callegari and long-time teammate Ferrin.

"Lorenzo brings a different side to the game that I've never really seen before. He's almost fearless in possession and out of possession. The way he plays, the quality he has, he could be in his own 18-yard box and he's really not afraid to make any mistakes. I really appreciate that. And even Massimo as well, when he goes forward, just the quality he has and some of the things he's able to do in attacking areas are things I really appreciate," he says.

"I'm more of a guy who looks at different actions as opposed to different players and say, 'Oh, that's something I'd like to incorporate or I'd like to do more of.'"

Looking to Inter Milan, Ferrazzo says he appreciates the transition from someone like Hakan Çalhanoğlu, who has adjusted his role from a more attacking player to a defensive one; it's something, on a match by match basis, he may be asked to do himself.

Ferrazzo has had a couple of starts recently, playing a wide midfielder role. The minutes, not to mention the goals, feel like a reward for one of Halifax's most dedicated players who is starting to find himself on the pitch in a big way.

"It's definitely a confidence booster for me too. I believe in my abilities, I know the guys do too, as well as the coaching staff. It's always a great feeling to get into the XI and deliver on my first start of the season. There's few things that can replace that feeling," he says.

"I think it's just important to have a coach and staff and players around you that believe in you. Even when, one day you're playing full-back or you're playing wing, you feel like you're in a good place and trusted to do the job however the game might go."

And no matter the situation, be it as a starter or substitute, there's little doubt Ferrazzo will be ready to give it his all.

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC