El Paso Locomotive FC announced today that midfielder Emmanuel Sonupé, and defenders Martin Payares and Miles Lyons, will return for the 2023 season. All three joined El Paso in the 2022 season.
Sonupé appeared in 16 matches during his first season with Locomotive. The English midfielder scored the first goal of the 2022 campaign in the season opener against Sacramento Republic. Sonupé began his youth career in the Tottenham Hotspur Academy in the English Premier League, playing three seasons in the Academy from 2012 to 2014. At the end of his Academy career, Sonupé signed full-time with the Hotspurs before going on loan with St. Mirren FC in the Scottish Premiership, making four appearances. Sonupé has earned three caps with the England U-16s and U-18s, earning a goal with the elder team.
Payares made six appearances with El Paso in the 2022 season. He came to El Paso from the Primera A league in Colombia, where he played 18 matches with 14 starts as a center back for his third stint with Boyacá Patriot. The Colombian native has played his entire career in his nation’s top-flight, beginning in 2015 with Cortuluá, where he made his professional debut at 19, going on to make 12 appearances, 10 of which were starts with one goal.
Lyons made two appearances with El Paso this season. The 20-year-old joined El Paso Locomotive as an outside back, helping to fill a role on the defensive backline for the Locos. He played four seasons with the Barcelona Residency Academy, where he helped lead the U-19 teams to the MLS Next Playoffs by finishing top in the Southwest Division in an undefeated season. The young defender looks to make his impact known heading into the 2023 season.
El Paso will be announcing more roster additions in the coming weeks as they gear up for their fifth USL Championship season.
El Paso Locomotive FC’s roster as it currently stands for the 2023 USL Championship season is below, listed alphabetically by position:
GOALKEEPERS (0):
DEFENDERS (4): Eder Borelli, Miles Lyons, Martín Payares, Yuma.
MIDFIELDERS (1): Emmanuel Sonupé.
FORWARDS (2): Aaron Gomez, Luis Solignac.