Last weekend will be engraved in the memory of all Vancouver FC players, fans and staff as the first franchise victory against the fiercest rival, Pacific FC. For Elliot Simmons, however, this game was even more special as he registered his 100th match appearance in a Canadian Premier League jersey across all competitions. “It’s really special in a way that it almost ticks all the boxes where it’s an at home derby team win and my 100th game,” shares Simmons.

Such an important victory was the perfect celebration of a hard fought career that started in Luton, England, 25 years ago. It was in the little English town that Simmons started to find a passion for football. “[Luton] has always been a big football town and, I guess that’s anywhere you go in England, everyone lives for British football,” recalls about his hometown. 

When Simmons was five years old, his family immigrated to Ottawa, Canada, where he continued to follow his passion of football and played at a youth level. At that time, it was hard to imagine that a first tier, professional football league could be a thing in Canada. However, it was even harder to imagine that some of those youth competitors Simmons was fighting against in Ottawa, including Gabriel Bitar and Mikael Cantave, were going to be future teammates in Vancouver. 

“We all kind of knew each other from sort of the Ottawa area, it’s pretty cool to see how you almost do a full circle in life and come across the same guys you sort of grew up with,” comments Simmons. 

Simmons’ time in Ottawa didn’t last very long before his family returned to England which gave the midfielder more opportunities to progress his youth soccer career. Simmons joined the academy of MK Dons to train in the same youth system that developed Delle Ali where he eventually caught the attention of big clubs like Arsenal and West Ham.   

“That’s when [football] got quite serious because you start signing two-year contracts where you can’t play for your school teams, can’t play for local teams. It’s all focused on your club.”

Unfortunately, Simmons was a late developer and English football demands a really physical game. That’s why the Luton-born midfielder decided to try his luck in Sweden and Finland, where he had the opportunity to train with first-division teams. This experience helped him to develop physically but also, more importantly, mentally. 

“That’s one of the biggest differences between youth football, where everyone is kind of mates (friends) with each other, and first-team football, where everyone is fighting for a contract,” explains Simmons. “It’s quite a very serious atmosphere where a few good or bad performances can really change your career path.”

By the creation of the Canadian Premier League in 2019, Simmons had gained valuable experience in Europe but was ready to take on a new challenge and break into a new market. With his previous lived, although brief, experience in Canada, Simmons was approached by Halifax Wanderers FC to join their new squad. It was a playing opportunity that Simmons could not reject and he was excited to return to the country that gave him so much joy as a young lad.

“I think going into the first year it was exciting because there was no way to measure the standard, no game had been played,” recalls Simmons. “It was quite exciting in that way as much as you doubt about how it’s going to turn out.”

For the CPL second season, Simmons moved West to sign with Cavalry FC where his technique and passing range fit Calgary’s system perfectly. His three years with Cavalry and, especially his performance in 2022 where he led the team with 131 recoveries, made him one of the main targets for the newest expansion-side, Vancouver FC. Simmons became the second signing in the club’s history and, at just 25-years-old, the most experienced player in the CPL from the squad. 

“Transitioning now from a young player to a more experienced player is pretty cool, but at the same time, it’s a new learning thing for me and I think it’s only going to benefit me,” comments Simmons. “I still look up to people around this team where I can try and add stuff to my game and learn from them.”

Having the opportunity to create something from zero has been a really exciting experience for Simmons. VFC’s No. 16 assures something special is being created in Langley and, little by little, the results are proving it. That was why heading to his 100th game in CPL colours, his focus was to prove Vancouver FC is meant to do great things. 

“It almost just felt like a bit of pressure was relieved [when we won] because we worked so hard in training and I don’t think the results have been fair to the effort that we put in,” says Simmons. “You can see that the football side of it is now really starting to come on and hopefully we can deliver.”

Help us in our efforts to qualify for the playoffs showing your support in the stands in our last four home games. Simmons and the team are dialled in to fight for every ball like it was a final and regardless of what happens, they will show this a team people should be proud of. Make sure you get your tickets here and don’t miss your chance to experience what all the buzz is about in Langley.