Vancouver FC today announced the addition of Niall Thompson and Mark Village to head coach Afshin Ghotbi’s staff. Thompson, 48, from Surrey, B.C. and Village, 31, from Abbotsford, B.C. both boast familiarity with the local and provincial soccer scenes, after starting their playing days within youth systems in the Fraser Valley. Thompson is a former member of the Canadian Men’s National Team, with four starts and two goals in his nine appearances for his country. He represented Canada during its FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign in 2000 and in two editions of the Concacaf Gold Cup, in 1993 and 1996. Throughout a professional playing career that spanned more than a decade, Thompson competed in England for Crystal Palace and Colchester United; as well as for Montreal Impact, the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps in North America, among other teams. Thompson holds a United States Soccer Federation A coaching license as well as a UEFA A coaching license. Prior to joining Vancouver, he has been a longtime coach with Surrey United Soccer Club. “We are thrilled to welcome both Niall and Mark as the first additions to our coaching staff. Niall’s experience both as a former player and longtime coach in the area will not only give us a competitive edge on the field but will help us to understand and connect with the community around us off it,” said Afshin Ghotbi, Head Coach, Vancouver FC. “As we build our team out from the back, Mark’s intimate knowledge of the Canadian Premier League will be crucial to providing our squad with a solid foundation from which to grow.” Village joins Vancouver FC as the club’s goalkeeper coach. A veteran of the Canadian Premier League, Village previously represented Pacific FC both on the field and from the sidelines. The native of Abbotsford, British Columbia started 17 games for Pacific during the club’s inaugural season in 2019. Village later transitioned to an off-field role with the Tridents, becoming the club’s Head Goalkeeper Coach from 2020 until his departure last month. Village was a CPL champion with Pacific in 2021 and played a key role in furthering the development of the club’s first team goalkeepers, including Vancouver’s first player signing, Callum Irving. “I look forward to seeing Mark continue to work with Callum on evolving his game, and providing that same expertise to any other goalkeeper that comes into the club in the future,” Ghotbi said. “I look forward to working with both he and Niall to build this squad from the ground up ahead of our first CPL season in 2023.” Stay tuned to canpl.ca/vancouverfc and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest news and updates.

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