PITTSBURGH (February 11, 2021) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed forward Josh Gatt to a one-year contract with a club option for 2022, pending USL Championship and USSF approval. Gatt, 29, is a speedy attacker who brings experience from the highest levels, having competed in both UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches and representing the United States in international play during his career.
“Josh is an exciting player that has good instincts in front of goal and is a consistent threat to get behind defenses,” Riverhounds head coach Bob Lilley said. “He can play multiple attacking positions and is also very capable of forcing mistakes by opposing defenders with his pressure. We are looking forward to having his experience and tenacity here in Pittsburgh for the 2021 USL season.”
A native of the Detroit suburb of Plymouth, Mich., Gatt elected to forego a college career at Indiana University and signed professionally with Austrian club Rheindorf Altach in 2010. Gatt made an immediate impact with six goals in 18 matches in all competitions in his first pro season, which helped him land a move to Molde, one of Norway’s top clubs. As one of the first signings at Molde by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, now the head man at Manchester United, Gatt featured heavily in his first two seasons with the club. He scored five goals in 27 appearances his first season, as Molde won the Tippeligaen in 2011 for its first domestic league title, and Gatt matched that output — five goals in 27 appearances — the next season.
Gatt also earned two caps representing the United States during his time at Molde, as he appeared for the U.S. in two friendlies — a 2-2 draw against Russia on November 14, 2012, and in a 0-0 draw with Canada on January 29, 2013.
A severe knee injury in 2013 that required three surgeries limited Gatt to one appearance in 2014-15, but he worked his way back into first-team action with a goal in six matches in 2016. He then left Molde to sign in MLS with Minnesota United, but he was traded before the Colorado Rapids season, where he scored twice in 20 appearances during the 2017 MLS season. Gatt spent 2018-19 back in Austria with Rheindorf Altach, and most recently, he spent four months under contract with Dundalk in the League of Ireland Premier Division, making two appearances.
The Hounds’ roster continues to take shape for the 2021 season, with 12 players under contract for the upcoming USL Championship campaign, slated to have the Hounds begin to play in late April or early May.
Players currently under contract:
Forwards – Russell Cicerone, Albert Dikwa, Alex Dixon, Josh Gatt
Midfielders – Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde
Defenders – Alex DeJohn, Jordan Dover, Preston Kilwien, Dani Rovira
Goalkeepers – Danny Vitiello
