VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC confirmed on Wednesday that following a two-week trial, Whitecaps FC BMO Academy product and Homegrown midfielder Simon Colyn has joined the youth teams of Italian Serie B club SPAL on loan through June 2021. The agreement includes an option to extend the loan for an additional year, as well as an option to purchase. Colyn will start with the Italian club's U-19 side, which participates in the top youth division in the country.
“We have an open process with all of our promising prospects and regularly evaluate what is the best platform to help them grow,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director and chief executive officer. “Currently, we don’t have a development team playing at the level Simon needs. This loan at SPAL will provide that opportunity, as well as a path for the next steps in his development towards being an option for our first team.”
Colyn, 18, joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy in 2016 and was signed to the first team in April 2018. The native of Langley, BC made his MLS debut at the end of the 2018 regular season and spent the majority of 2019 and 2020 training with the first team will playing games with the Development Squad and the U-19 side.
A dual citizen of Canada and the Netherlands, Colyn also featured for Canada at the U-15 and U-17 levels.
