VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Bryce Alderson has joined English club Queens Park Rangers F.C. for a two-week off-season training spell, the club confirmed today.
Alderson said he will look to use this off-season, including the experience in White City, London, to serve to his advantage when he reports back to Vancouver for training camp in January.
“A new coach is coming in and when a new coach comes in it’s a clean slate for everybody,” Alderson told whitecapsfc.com. “When pre-season rolls around, he’ll be looking at all new faces and it will be up to the players to impress and try to make an impression.”
Alderson arrived in London earlier this week and will begin training with QPR’s U-21 side, whose head coach Marc Bircham is familiar with the ‘Caps midfielder through his ties with the Canadian Soccer Association, once the neccessary paperwork has been finalized.
The Whitecaps FC Residency graduate will be available for selection in QPR's next two matches, against the Crystal Palace U-21s on November 19 and Reading U-21s on November 26.
Canadian midfielders Dylan Carreiro and Michael Petrasso, who Alderson grew up playing with as part of Canada’s youth system, are also members of QPR’s U-21 squad. The Canadian duo will be hosting Alderson at their apartment during his short stint in London.
“It was just a good fit for me to come here and train for a couple weeks,” Alderson said. "Knowing a few guys makes it really easy for me."
Alderson, 19, joined Whitecaps FC’s Major League Soccer roster as a Generation adidas Homegrown player in November 2011 after coming through the club’s Residency program. He spent this past season on loan with United Soccer Leagues PRO side Charleston Battery, recording one assist in 15 appearances.
The Kitchener, Ontario native returned to Vancouver in September after representing the Canadian men's U-21 team at the Francophone Games. It’s been over two months since Alderson has played in an actual match, which is part of the reason why both he and the club felt a training stint abroad would be in his best interest.
“We’re on the same page,” said Alderson, a two-time Canadian U-17 Player of the Year. “Ultimately, they want what’s best for me. And what’s best for me is what’s best for them.”
After two seasons in the English Premier League, QPR was relegated to the Football League Championship – the second-highest tier of England’s professional soccer system – at the end of last season. The Hoops currently sit third in the Championship with a 9W-1L-5D record.
Whitecaps FC 2014 season tickets are now on sale and start at just $349, subject to applicable fees. The club is also offering a flexible range of additional products, including half-season packs, 5-packs, student season tickets, and a youth soccer half-season ticket. For more information on all Whitecaps FC ticket options, call 604.669.9283 ext. 2 or visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.
