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Captain Callum Irving earns CPL Player of the Week
October 8, 2024

Heroes come in many shapes and sizes and can be found at the most unexpected of times. For Vancouver FC, their hero comes in at 6’, local lad hailing from Vancouver, BC, keeps watch between the goalposts, and dons the Captain armband: goalkeeper Callum Irving.

The heroics were undeniable in the club’s last match played against Halifax Wanderers FC which featured a 1-1 result that could have easily been at least 5-1 for the Maritime-team. The Eagles fell to 10 men just 30 minutes into the do or die match and, although it truly was a team effort to do whatever it took to stay in the points, Irving was the one who stepped up to the plate in the biggest way. For his efforts, Irving has been named the Player of the Week in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) for Matchweek 26.

The 31-year-old goalkeeper registered 11 saves against the relentless Wanderers this last Saturday which tied a CPL record for the most saves in a single match, joining former Valour FC and current CF Montréal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois who first set the record in 2021. As such, Irving’s 11 saves in a single match set a new VFC record, surpassing the seven stops that Irving previously earned on Sept. 14, 2024 against Pacific FC.

Irving has been nothing but reliable in the net for Vancouver since being the inaugural signing of his hometown team. He led the CPL in saves in 2023 with 88 and is continuing that trend this year, currently sitting at 91 stops with two matches still left to be played in the regular season. The record-setter that Irving is, he now holds the franchise record for the most saves in a single season and that number will only grow by the time the regular season concludes on Oct. 19.

In less than two years, Irving has marked many memories with Vancouver and has already cemented himself in the club’s history books. From being the franchise’s first-ever signing, to being named the first Captain in club history, to being the first player to join VFC’s ‘Golden Club’ of playing in 50 matches for the Eagles across all competitions which he joined on Aug. 31, 2024. He registered Vancouver’s first-ever clean sheet on May 9, 2023 and the franchise’s first penalty save on Jun. 27, 2024 against B.C.-rivals and Irving’s former team, Pacific FC.

The native of Vancouver has numbers for days to explain why he will forever be renowned in VFC history, but it is his leadership and care for his teammates that adds another dimension of what makes Irving an incredible keeper. On Saturday, after conceding the equalizer in the literal last minute of play after the tireless effort Irving and the team displayed, it was not hidden the devastation that was felt by the team. However, as the one who had a clean sheet taken from him, Irving put that all aside and went around consoling his teammates. A simple gesture but one with the most impactful to allow the team to grieve but reassuring that the work is not done yet.

There are still two regular season matches left in 2024 for Irving to make more history but taking a moment to reflect on the work and milestones the Captain has accomplished thus far is incredible. From the League level just in 2024, Irving has earned Goalkeeper of the Month in May, earned his second Player of the Week recognition today after previously being named the best in Matchweek 12, earned three Performance of the Match, and earned four Team of the Week recognitions which is the most among VFC players this season. With the leadership of Captain Callum Irving, the Eagles will have to put their heads down and do whatever it takes to hold onto the fifth and final playoff spot.

 

The journey continues with VFC’s final regular season home match against Valour FC on Sunday, Oct. 13. Sitting just one point above Valour, the Eagles will have to give it everything they got with the support of their hometown crowd to gain all three points in the decisive match. VFC is calling all fans to fill Willoughby Park at 2 p.m. PT on Sunday, Oct. 13th and cheer your Eagles onto victory! Tickets can be purchased online here.