Vancouver FC and Afshin Ghotbi are always looking for ways to improve the squad and they seem to have found another piece to the puzzle. The club delightedly announced the signing of a veteran midfielder Olivier Rommens on Friday.  

Rommens, 29, will be joining VFC for the remainder of the 2024 season but could stay with the club for the next two years through club options. Vancouver will be the first North American club that the native of Belgium will play for after spending the entirety of his career representing teams in Malta, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. 

“We are thrilled to gain the services of Olivier Rommens,” said VFC’s head coach Afshin Ghotbi.

The versatile leader brings his knowledge to Vancouver from Balzan FC of the Maltese Premier League where he has played since January of this year. He appeared in every one of Balzan’s matches (14 in total) where he scored two goals and registered two assists.

Prior to Malta, Rommens received top flight experience in both Estonia and Lithuania. He spent the 2022/23 season with Nõmme Kalju FC in the Estonian football system where he made 26 appearances across all competitions and even scored two goals in two domestic cup matches. 

Before that, he spent nearly two years with FK Sūduva in Lithuania from July 2021 until February 2023. The active midfielder made 43 appearances during that time, collecting 10 goal contributions showcasing his ability to play both sides of the ball and engage in all important attacking situations.

“We believe Olivier will improve our midfield with his ability to take good positions, his precise passes connecting our backline to our strikers and his high football IQ. All of [Olivier’s] attributes will offer us more control throughout matches,” continued Ghotbi about his latest signing.

Rommens got his soccer journey started in the Netherlands when he joined the esteemed youth academy PSV Eindhoven in 2006. He worked his way through the youth ranks representing the U17, U19, and U21 teams where he eventually made his professional debut with John PSV of the Eerste Divisie in August 2014.

The native of Belgium continued to represent various Dutch clubs in the Eerste Divisie including NAC Breda and TOP Oss. During the seven years that Rommens was playing in the Dutch football system, the now-29-year-old registered over 150 appearances across all competitions and gained valuable experience that he will now bring to Canada.

“I am very excited to play for Vancouver FC and be in Canada,” said Rommens. “This league is continuing to grow each year and having the chance to be a part of the youngest club holds so much potential, especially when everyone here is so ambitious. I’m looking forward to bringing all of my experiences from Europe over to Vancouver and to help the club achieve the goals of post-season action.”

Vancouver FC fans can see the European experience at Willoughby Park as early as Saturday, July 20 when the Eagles host York United FC. Kick off to VFC’s Beach Party match is at 3 p.m. PT and fans can purchase their tickets online here or in person at the gate on game day.