Newest Orlando City Addition Giles Barnes is a Well-Traveled Player

On Saturday, Giles Barnes found out Orlando would be the next destination in his career. The Jamaican midfielder was dealt to Orlando City in a trade involving midfielder Brek Shea, who will now become a member of the Vancouver Whitecaps. This will be the sixth club the 28-year-old has been a member of in his career and it could be the beginning of a special time for him in Florida.

It all started at Derby County for Barnes. The club was in Football League One at the time (English third division), and the young player impressed fairly quickly. At the end of the 2006 season, he was receiving interest from Premier League clubs, but ended up signing a contract extension with Derby, where he would remain until 2009.

During his time with Derby, Barnes was the Young Player of the Year in 2007, and won Player of the Month honors in the English Championship (second division) in March 2007. He netted a total of 10 goals in 84 appearances for the club.

During his early years with Derby, Barnes made 12 appearances and scored seven goals with the England U-19 team.

Barnes moved on to West Bromwich Albion in 2010, and appeared in only 23 matches. He was released at the end of the 2010-11 season.

The next season, the midfielder signed a short-term deal at Doncaster Rovers, where he was featured as both a starter and substitute. In total, he made 33 appearances and scored one goal.

Following his release from Doncaster, Barnes made his move to the United States, as he joined the Houston Dynamo. The Texas club became his home for the next four years. He played in 113 matches and netted 31 goals with Houston. In 2014, he started and played in 34 matches, his most active year as a player.

Last season, Barnes was traded to the Vancouver Whitecaps in July. He would start in eight of his 10 appearances and scored two goals against the Portland Timbers in October.

Despite representing his native England at a young age, Barnes opted to represent Jamaica internationally. Through his grandparents, he was able to play for the Reggae Boyz.

In 2015, he made his international debut for the Caribbean country and scored against Venezuela. He would go on to represent Jamaica in the Gold Cup, and help lead the country to its first ever Gold Cup final, scoring an important goal against the U.S. in the semifinals.

As you can see, Barnes has had a lengthy career already and brings plenty of experience at different levels of the game. He has been featured as an attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, center forward, and winger during his career. Time will tell where he will end up in the Lions lineup. One thing for certain is that he has the experience and skill set needed to play for the club.