After a long and winding road, Coquitlam soccer player David Norman Jr. hopes he’s finally found a home close to home.
In the eight years since Norman left Oregon State University after his freshman year to turn pro with the Vancouver Whitecaps development team, he’s alighted in Scotland, Victoria, Miami, Calgary, England and Ireland.
In January, Norman signed a two-year contract with Vancouver FC of the Canadian Premier League, hopeful his itinerant voyage through the sport are over and the things he’s learned along the way will benefit his younger teammates..
“It’s been quite the journey,” said Norman, who was born in New Westminster. “Playing under so many different coaches and systems, and for so many fan bases, I’m able to take all that experience and bring it to the club here.”
Here is Langley, where Vancouver FC plays its home matches at Willoughby Park and Norman now lives.
He said the proximity to Coquitlam, where friends and family are able to make the short journey to watch him play instead of checking results from faraway leagues and distant time zones, was a big driver of his decision to join the club.
GOAL 🦅🦅🦅🦅@VanFootballClub take a 4-1 lead over @ValourFootball as David Norman Jr. gets his name on the scoresheet! ✍️
— OneSoccer (@onesoccer) April 15, 2024
🔴 Watch #CanPL on OneSoccer pic.twitter.com/9oeIHslbtP
As well, the two seasons he spent with another CPL club, Calgary FC, showed him the strides the league has made in playing competitive soccer and developing the next generation of Canadian players.
Norman, 26, said it’s important he become a part of that developmental arc by sharing his experiences with Vancouver FC’s younger Canadian players.
“It’s special to think that 15 years ago the Whitecaps academy program was the only real opportunity for them and now there’s so many more opportunities to pursue their goals and dreams right here in BC,” Norman said.
“I’ve seen what football is like elsewhere and if there’s any way I can help these young players, I want to be able to provide a bit of leadership.”
Passing down his passion for the sport comes naturally for Norman. HIs grandfather founded Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club and his dad — also David — played professionally for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the old North American Soccer League as well as teams in the Major Indoor Soccer and the Canadian Soccer leagues. He also made 55 appearances with Canada’s national team.
“Hearing their stories about the sport really helped me a young player,” said Norman, a defender.
Despite his fulsome resumé, Norman has had to earn his way into Vancouver FC’s lineup, perhaps an indication of the quality of some of the team’s other young Canadian players, like Port Moody’s Anthony White and Port Coquitlam’s Kadin Chung.
Norman has appeared in 15 of Vancouver FC’s 26 matches so far this season, scoring once. But he’s been a starter the past two and was named to the CPL’s Team of the Week for his defensive prowess in a 1-1 draw against Halifax Wanderers FC, Oct. 5.
That draw kept second-year Vancouver FC in the thick of a four-way battle for the final playoff spot heading into its last home match Sunday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m., against Valour FC and a season-ending showdown with Atlético Ottawa on Oct. 19.
Norman said the effort to get Vancouver FC into the post-season in just its second year of existence has been exciting.
“It’s been a goal for the whole group since Day One,” he said. “For most teams it’s tough to come in and be successful right away.”
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