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Captain Callum Irving earns nomination for CPL’s Best Goalkeeper of 2024
October 28, 2024

For the second year in a row, Vancouver FC players have been recognized as some of the best across the Canadian Premier League (CPL). Last year, VFC youngster James Cameron was nominated for the 2023 Best U-21 Domestic Player as a first-time professional. This year, it is the veteran, Captain, and keeper between the posts Callum Irving who has earned a nomination for the 2024 CPL Golden Glove award. 

Irving, 31, has been the most consistent feature on VFC’s roster ever since joining the team as the club’s inaugural signing in December 2022, nearly one month after Vancouver’s establishment. The native of Vancouver, B.C., previously played for a B.C. CPL team, having come from Pacific FC; however, Vancouver was the first chance in years for Irving to play for his hometown professional team.

 

 

Irving was named as Vancouver’s first captain ahead of the Eagles’ inaugural CPL season in 2023 and has worn the armband in all but one of VFC’s matches across two seasons. That one match that Irving didn’t have the armband was the only time that the keeper missed an appearance for VFC, being the franchise leader for the most appearances in a VFC jersey with 57 across all competitions.

Although already a master of his craft, Irving just continued to show professionalism and brilliance between the posts for Vancouver this year. He set new franchise records in nearly every category, beating out his own performance from 2023, except for clean sheets which Irving tied with five in 2024. 

The 31-year-old keeper made history for VFC on June 27 when Irving registered the franchise’s first penalty save, coming fittingly against Irving’s former team, Pacific, by stopping Sean Young. If registering the club’s first-ever penalty save wasn’t enough, Irving doubled down just over two months later when he stopped Ollie Bassett of Atlético Ottawa from scoring from the spot to set his new CPL-career high for penalty saves.

At the League level, Irving closed out the 2024 season with 95 saves in regular season play which set a new CPL record for the most saves in a single season which was previously set in 2021 by former-Valour FC and current CF Montréal goalkeeper Jonathan Sirois. Eleven of those 95 saves all came in one match against Halifax Wanderers FC on Oct. 5, 2024 which tied the CPL record, also set by Sirois in 2021, for the most saves in a single match.

For his efforts in 2024, Irving had the most CPL Team of the Week nods amongst the Eagles with four and was honoured with three Performance of the Match recognitions. The local lad also earned Goalkeeper of the Month in May after helping Vancouver to a 2-1-1 record for that month and faced 71 shots during that time.

Irving’s 2024 Golden Glove nomination is his third in his five-year CPL career after previously earning nods in 2020 and 2022. The award recognizes the best goalkeeper in the CPL during regular season competition and for 2024 includes Irving, Emil Gazdov of Pacific FC, and Thomas Vincensini of York United FC.

The winner of the 2024 Golden Glove award will be decided through voting by technical leadership from all eight CPL clubs as well as select media members, representing local and national outlets, who consistently covered the 2024 CPL regular season. The winner will be revealed at an in-person awards ceremony in Calgary, Alta. on Thursday, Nov. 7 as part of the 2024 CPL Final festivities.

The winner of the Golden Glove award will receive a unique piece of Inuit soapstone art, conceived by artist Kellipalik Etidloie and carved by Ruben Komangapik. The Canadian Inuit Dog statue is awarded annually to the CPL goalkeeper voted best at his position because the Canadian Inuit Dog and goalkeepers are, similarly, protectors who play vital roles in guarding their communities.

The 2024 CPL Awards ceremony will be broadcast live on dedicated soccer channel OneSoccer and streamed on CBC Gem and cbcsports.ca beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The show will be hosted by Andi Petrillo with appearances by current and former CPL players and coaches, as well as special guests from the Canadian soccer community.