Fury add to mix with another Canadian back

The CanCon meter continues to soar around the Ottawa Fury FC.

That’s CanCon as in Canadian Content.

Fresh off signing Toronto native Daniel Haber last week, Fury FC officially inked defender Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare from Sherbrooke, Que., Monday to bring the number of Canadians to 17 on the 26-man roster, a shade under two-thirds.

Gagnon-Lapare spent time on loan to the Fury back in 2015, then spent 2016 with the Montreal Impact’s United Soccer League franchise before heading overseas to compete with AS Vitre, in France’s Championnat National 2.

The newcomer might even be available to the Fury as early as Wednesday in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal against MLS defending champion Toronto FC.

“The project we have going here is about trying to being in as many good Canadian players as we can,” said Fury FC head coach Nikola Popovic. “Jeremy is one of those players who can help further develop our bond and culture around the team. He gained experience in France and he endorses what we are trying to build here.”

The 23-year-old Gagnon-Lapare has represented Canada on the international soccer stage, as recently as May, 2016, as a callup to the men’s U-23 team for a Caribbean Tour. He also represented Canada at the Pan-American Games in 2015 and has earned five caps with the senior Canadian squad.

The Fury like his versatility to play either as a defensive-minded midfielder or to give speed and agility as a left-back.

“Jeremy is a young Canadian player we’ve been keeping our eyes on, and we’re excited to finally bring him to Ottawa,” said Fury FC GM Julian de Guzman. “He is a hard worker who will fit well with our culture.

“He is the style of player we need to add depth and options to maintain a strong defensive core.”