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James Cameron earns first call up for Canada
February 12, 2024

“It is an incredible honour to be called upon to represent my country for the first time,” said Cameron. “This year has been full of chances and opportunities that have helped me develop both as a footballer and as a person, and I couldn’t be more excited to add this next opportunity to the list.”

Cameron’s opportunities have been plentiful over the last 12 months and he committed to making the most of each one that has come his way. It all started on Christmas day 2022 when Cameron’s father gifted the defender with a ticket to Vancouver FC’s open trials. His work ethic and determination was enough to impress the coaches and Cameron joined Vancouver in May 2023 on a Development Contract.

 

Cameron quickly accumulated his six eligible matches for Vancouver FC under his Development Contract earning 468 minutes which was the most by any player in that category over the 2023 regular season. The native of North Vancouver took his next step in his football career by inking his first professional contract with VFC under the Exceptional Young Talent (EYT) roster subcategory in July 2023. Cameron even scored his first professional goal on September 9, 2023 against Atlético Ottawa which was the game-winner that came in injury time.

During the 2023 Canadian Premier League (CPL) regular season, Cameron made 17 starts in 19 appearances and logged 1,504 total minutes which ranked the defender fourth in the league amongst domestic Under-21 players. He eventually led VFC’s squad in total tackles (70) and duels won (129), ranked second for tackles won (43), and third for aerial duels won (19). Across the CPL, Cameron’s total tackles and tackles won ranked him second and fifth, respectively, in those categories. He also was named to the CPL Gatorade Team of the Week twice throughout the season.

The impressive accolades of the young VFC defender in his inaugural season earned him a nomination for the Best Canadian U-21 Player at the CPL awards in October 2023. Although Cameron did not walk away with the hardware, the 19-year-old was already achieving the next step in his young career; training with major clubs in Europe. Cameron spent the better part of two months with English Premier League (EPL) clubs including Luton Town, gaining valuable experience that, just a few months ago, was only a dream.

“These last 12 months have been a whirlwind in the best way, and I am forever grateful for these experiences and the people who have helped to make them possible,” said Cameron. “I’m so excited to show what I can do for Canada.”

And with that, just a few weeks after celebrating his 19th birthday, Cameron will head to Trinidad and Tobago for his first international tournament. The three-game competition serves as the qualifier for the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship which will take place this summer. Canada will face Dominica on Friday, Feb. 23, St. Vincent & The Grenadines on Sunday, Feb. 25 and Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday, Feb. 27th in Group D with only the top team from the group advancing to the Championship. All of Canada’s matches will air live on OneSoccer and fans can find extended coverage across VFC’s and Canada Soccer’s digital channels.

Cameron will look to bring his new, international experiences back home to Vancouver for pre-season ahead of the Eagles’ 2024 CPL kick off on April 14 at Willoughby Park. With all of Cameron’s accomplishments in just a single year, who knows what he’ll be able to achieve in his second professional season.