All Whites striker signs MLS contract
Myer Bevan will get his first crack at fully-fledged professional football next year.
The 20-year-old Kiwi striker has signed with the Vancouver Whitecaps for the 2018 Major League Soccer season, with further one-year options for 2019, 2020 and 2021.
The deal came about for two main reasons.
The first was his solid form for the now-defunct Vancouver reserve team, Whitecaps FC 2, which he joined halfway through the 2017 United Soccer League season, scoring three goals in 13 games.
The second was completing the Canadian citizenship application process, which he is eligible for through a family member, during the USL season. That new passport means he can play as a local for Vancouver, rather than take one of their coveted international player slots.
Bevan said he was ‘‘buzzing’’ after signing the contract, but was well aware of the challenge he now faced to get regular gametime.
‘‘It’s been little stepping stones up until this big one. Now I’m in the environment I want to be in, I need to give myself the best chance to get as many minutes as possible and express myself and show that I can play at that level and I am good enough.’’
It capped a big year for Bevan, which started as a member of the Nike Academy in the United Kingdom, before impressing with his performances, and two goals, at the under-20 World Cup in May. Just before the tournament, he signed for Whitecaps FC 2.
He also made his senior New Zealand debut in the OFC World Cup qualifying final against the Solomon Islands in September, scoring his first All Whites goal in the second leg.
‘‘It’s been a pretty unbelievable year. It happened so quickly. I know it’s 12 months, but it’s happened in the blink of an eye. I’ve achieved so many things in the space of a year, it’s been pretty awesome.’’
He said he hoped the professional deal would help lead to further All Whites callups in the future.
‘‘That’s big for me. It depends on minutes. I want to be playing as much as I can to be seen by the next All Whites coach.’’
There is also the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on the horizon. That is run as an under-23 competition, with Bevan squeaking in a few months under the age limit.