Maliek Howell wants to prove a point
Birmingham Legion's newest signing has high ambitions for his time with the Three Sparks
Maliek Howell joined Birmingham Legion FC last week from fellow USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights.
While it might take time for the midseason arrival to find his place in the team, the 26-year-old centerback already has high hopes for his time in the Magic City. From wanting to return to the fold for his national team to fighting for the Three Sparks’ first piece of silverware, Howell is not afraid of chasing his dreams.
“The fact that they came to me, it means a lot,” Howell said. “It means they think I can add something to the team, and that's what I'm here to do. Come here, embrace my attributes, my qualities, and try to get this club some championships.”
Howell joined the Lights as his first professional outfit in 2024 after a college career with the University of Memphis and Missouri State. In his first season as a pro, he made 30 appearances for the Las Vegas side, including a stretch of 14 consecutive starts from June through September and starting in LVL’s Western Conference final loss against the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
His run of games saw him make two starts against Mark Briggs’ Sacramento Republic, defeating his new boss on both occasions. The Englishman said he knew him well from facing him in those encounters and saw in him someone who could add a new dimension to the team.
“He’s just a player who’s a different profile to what we already have,” Briggs said. “He’s a player who’s been in big games and understands what it means to be in big games and has a desire and a hunger to get back into his national team squad.
“I think it’s important when you sign players that they have a hunger to improve and a desire to not just come here and be complacent,” he added. “We need people who are hungry to move their careers individually, but also move the needle for this club.”
Howell is keen to display that hunger after a disappointing second season in Nevada. With 28 goals conceded from their first 17 league games, Las Vegas have been the third-worst defense in the USL Championship so far in 2025. The Lights fired head coach Antonio Nocerino on June 10, and Howell has fallen out of favor since.
The Jamaican has started just one of the five league games following the coaching change, coming off before the hour mark in a 4-3 loss to FC Tulsa.
“I'm playing with a chip on my shoulder right now, you know?” Howell said. “I am here to prove a point. I'm here to win games. I'm here to win trophies. That's what it's all about.”
Howell described himself as a centerback who likes to play on the front foot and be part of a team that controls and dominates games. But as for what exactly Birmingham Legion fans can expect to see of their new man? He said that rather than say anything now, he will do his talking on the field.
Since arriving last week, Howell said he has been enjoying life in Birmingham.
He said he likes the city and the nature, while also being impressed by the team’s “phenomenal” facilities and his new teammates.
“It's a great locker room,” Howell said. “We’ve just got to keep grinding, keep working, believing. Believe in what the coach is giving us and try to execute it each game, each day in practice and make that become a habit. I think no one could stop us if we can do that.”
Among that group, Howell will face a tough fight for a starting spot. Though the Three Sparks use three centerbacks in Briggs’ 3-4-3 formation, the roster now has seven players capable of playing in the position.
While Ethan Kos has yet to make an appearance under Briggs, Jake Rufe, Phanuel Kavita, AJ Paterson, Tiago Suárez and Ramiz Hamouda all appear to have their coach’s trust.
“I know we’re competing against each other, but he’s a teammate now,” Hamouda said of the latest arrival to that centerback corps. “He’s family. So there’s no tension or anything like that, and on the field it’s just part of being a pro.
“He’s a great guy,” he added. “He’s easy to talk to. On the field, he’s vocal. He’s a guy who can lead the backline, and I think that’s what we need right now.”
Howell hopes to break into Legion’s XI soon as he chases both club silverware and international recognition.
The Jamaican appeared in three international friendlies for the Reggae Boyz, starting once, back in 2022 while still in college. Though he has received call-ups since, he has yet to make a competitive international appearance.
His last call up to the national set-up came in February of this year. He remained on the bench as his country defeated Trinidad and Tobago in a friendly encounter.
“A goal of mine is to get back in my national team,” Howell said. “I'm currently in the pool of 40-45 guys. The World Cup qualifiers are coming up, and I'm looking to get back in that team.
“So I'm trying to work hard each day,” he added. “Trying to be at a high level, play at a high level, and try to be seen to get an opportunity back. Because I want to go to the World Cup. That's a dream from when I was a kid.”
Howell knows that club success would go a long way in getting that national attention. With his new club advancing to the last eight of the USL Jägermeister Cup last Saturday, he said winning that tournament is now a priority.
But his ambition doesn’t stop there.
For Howell, getting a taste of success would be only the first step for a team he believes can make a real push in the playoffs come the end of the season.
“It would be big for the club if we could win a cup,” Howell said. “And then that will show that we have what it takes to win the USL Championship, to go on that run, because I believe we could do that too.”
After staying on the bench for his first matchday squad at the weekend, the new signing could get his first chance to represent the Black and Gold Saturday as the team travels to Phoenix.
A Western Conference foe, Howell knows the Arizona team well from his time in Las Vegas, having faced them on three occasions already. His record against the Rising currently stands at 1-1-1.
Birmingham Legion face Phoenix Rising at 9 p.m. CT Saturday. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.