VANCOUVER, BC – Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Thursday that attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld has agreed to a Designated Player contract extension through 2027.
“Since joining the club in the summer of 2021, Ryan has been the creative force behind our attack and one of the league’s best players,” said Axel Schuster, Whitecaps FC sporting director. “He has helped us push forward as a club by making the MLS Cup Playoffs twice and winning two Canadian Championships, all while bringing a top level of professionalism to the locker room every day. Ryan and his fiancée Kat have embraced the city as a second home and have supported local organizations in our community. We are pleased to confirm Ryan will be with us in the long term as he helps us achieve our goals in the years to come.”
Whitecaps FC attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld
- Club leader with 60 goal contributions - 26 goals and 34 assists - during the MLS era, across 94 appearances in all competitions
- Two-time Canadian Championship winner in 2022 and 2023
- Two-time Whitecaps FC Player of the Year (2022, 2023) and 2022 George Gross Memorial Trophy recipient as Canadian Championship MVP
- 12 matches with multiple goal contributions – second most in club’s MLS era
- 12 selections to MLS Team of the Matchday during 2023 season and Player of Matchday 21
“From day one, the support in the city has been great. My fiancée and I have felt welcomed by everyone in and around the club,” said Gauld. “To know that I’m going to be in Vancouver for the next four years is a good feeling. We’ve loved the time we’ve had here, and we are looking forward to what’s to come.”
Since joining Vancouver in July 2021 from Portuguese side SC Farense, Gauld has scored 26 goals and added 34 assists, a club-record for the MLS era. In total, the 28-year-old has started 84 of his 94 appearances across all competitions and his 60 goal contributions are the most in the club’s MLS era.
In 2023, the Scotsman enjoyed his most prolific season to date, tallying 12 goals as well as a team-high 17 assists across 40 starts and 42 appearances in all competitions as the club reached the MLS Cup Playoffs for the second time in the past three seasons. Gauld received league recognition for his performances in MLS regular season action, as he was named to the Team of the Matchday a team-high 12 times and was awarded Player of the Matchday after notching a goal as well as two assists against Los Angeles FC in Matchday 21.
In addition to being at the top of many in-depth statistics during the regular season, Gauld finished ninth in goal contributions in the league with 23 (11 goals, 12 assists) and was named a candidate for the Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player award. The playmaker showed his defensive qualities too, finishing 19th in the league in tackles during the regular season with 64. Gauld was also the recipient of the club's Player of the Year award, winning the honour for a second consecutive season.
During his time with the club, Gauld has helped Vancouver secure back-to-back Canadian Championship titles, recording three assists in the 2022 campaign to earn the George Gross Memorial Trophy as Canadian Championship MVP and scoring the game-winner in the 2023 final against CF Montréal. The Scot was also a finalist for the MLS Newcomer of the Year award in his first season with the club in 2021, registering four goals as well as six assists in 13 starts and 18 appearances during the regular season en route to helping the ‘Caps clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Off the pitch, Gauld has had a presence in the community by supporting Covenant House Vancouver as a donor and inviting the organization along with the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (BC SPCA) to matches at BC Place as part of the Player Ticket Initiative program.
In his career, Gauld has recorded 324 appearances at the professional club level, having played for the likes of Dundee United, Sporting CP, Vítoria Setúbal FC, Deportivo Aves, and SC Farense after coming through the Dundee United Academy.
TRANSACTION: On January 25, 2024, Whitecaps FC sign attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld to a contract extension through 2027.
