91原创-based Vancouver Football Club (VFC) announced the signing of free agent centre back Rocco Romeo ahead of the club鈥檚 inaugural season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL). Romeo becomes the club鈥檚 sixth signing since its official launch in November 2022. The head coach Afshin Ghotbi and President Rob Friend welcomed Romeo on their team.

鈥淚 am grateful to Afshin and Rob for their faith in me as I begin this new chapter of my career in the Canadian Premier League with Vancouver FC,鈥� said Romeo. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to officially get started and put in the consistent work that is needed to get this club off to a great start on the field and off.鈥�

Romeo, a native of Toronto, 22, brings a mix of youth and experience to the squad. He was a product of Toronto FC鈥檚 academy system, Romeo most recently represented Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League, spending part of the 2021 season with Valour on a loan stint from Toronto before joining the CPL club on contract in 2022.

Romeo, who stands at 6鈥�4鈥� tall, has accumulated 3,756 minutes in league play over the past two seasons. He led Valour with 76 clearances in 2022, adding 11 blocks and winning 40 aerial duels. Romeo was among the chief distributors on the squad, making 1184 total passes over the course of the season, with a success rate of 84 per cent.

The centre back has also been known to find the back of the net from time to time, scoring two goals in each of his past two seasons. Romeo鈥檚 towering aerial presence poses a threat any time he is in the opponent鈥檚 box.

鈥淩occo will bring consistency and presence to our back line and leadership to our locker room,鈥� said Afshin Ghobti, head coach of VFC. 鈥淲e are pleased to bring in another player who understands the league and what it takes to be successful, and we look forward to helping Rocco continue his development in this next phase of his career.鈥�

Romeo previously joined the Toronto FC youth system in 2014 and represented the club in League1 Ontario and United Soccer League play over nine seasons with the organization. Along with his loan stint to Valour, Romeo gained European soccer experience during a pair of loan spells with HB K酶ge of the Danish first division in the 2018/2019 and 2020/2021 seasons.

At the international level, Romeo has represented several Canadian youth national teams, including at the 2017 Concacaf U-17 Championship and the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

鈥淎s we continue to build out our squad ahead of our inaugural season, we are looking for players who can help us be competitive from the first whistle,鈥� said Rob Friend, president of VFC. 鈥淩occo not only fits that bill, but we believe there is even more to come from him as he continues to grow as a player.鈥�

Romeo joins a handful of new teammates already announced as part of Vancouver鈥檚 first Canadian Premier League squad, including strikers Mamadou Kane and Nathaniel St. Louis, midfielder Elliot Simmons, left-back/wingback Kahlil John-Wentworth and goalkeeper Callum Irving.

Vancouver FC was founded in 2022 and will kick off its first Canadian Premier League season in 2023. The club is committed to being a professional team that commits more to its community than it takes out, in the pursuit of growing soccer in Canada.

.

RELATED: Priestley鈥檚 鈥極ffside鈥� paints a complex portrait of former Leafs owner Harold Ballard

READ MORE: Lightning鈥檚 Steven Stamkos scores 500th NHL goal against Canucks

.