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Fraser aird


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Aird is at the best team in terms of loan signings, tbh that doesn't really say much considering most were playing in the Scottish lower divisions, however it is quite good to see aird get a regular starting spot in a pretty decent team, they are the equivalent to Aberdeen up here. I still think he could make it here and would like to give him a chance under Warburton. Warburton must also see the potential in him as he hasn't released him yet! 

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For years now, the Whitecaps have touted their youth.

They’ve wanted their academy to be like Ajax — a conveyor belt of talented, technically gifted players groomed in the Whitecaps way from their early teens.

They’ve approached the draft — at least in their early MLS years — with an emphasis on potential over pro-ready players. Omar Salgado and Kekuta Manneh were drafted at 17  and 18 years old, respectively, surely with an eye on a future transfer windfall.

And for months, we’ve heard about how young their lineup is: the average age of this starting XI and that starting XI; a young bench; more young players — mostly Canadian — doing well with Whitecaps FC 2 in the USL.

All true.

But in just two months on the job, Fraser Aird, the 21-year-old Canadian fullback who signed with Glasgow Rangers at 16, has reminded us what a truly positive progression looks like in a young player. 

The Salgado experiment went on for four years here. So did the Darren Mattocks saga. The lights were out long before they left the room.

Manneh might still only be 21, but this is his fourth season, he’s played almost 100 MLS games, and people are still debating whether he’ll be a star or a bust — often in the same game.

As for the Canadians who’ve come through the residency program, Kianz Froese and Marco Bustos are clearly bright and unique talents, but we’ve not seen enough of them at the pro level to make sweeping statements. Sam Adekugbe has struggled in limited MLS minutes since a positive start to 2015.

Meanwhile, Aird has come in, had a stinker in his MLS opener, and then grown by leaps and bounds every week. He was one of the best players on the field in Saturday’s 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers, even though he didn’t look good on the opening goal.

He’s playing with confidence, enthusiasm and fearlessness, and he’s embraced the challenge of learning a new position (right-back) as if he’s cramming for a final exam.

Aird capped off Saturday’s game with a near end-to-end dribble, as if he was Bobby Orr with a soccer ball.

“To be fair, I almost stopped breathing at the end, I was so tired,” Aird said with a laugh. “I just tried to get the boys up the park as quick as I could and I won us a corner and the game was pretty much done after that. That’s what I’m good at. I’m good at bringing the ball up the park — and, as well, as I’ve got a lot better at defending.”

That sense of humour and honesty in his interviews has also endeared him to fans and media alike. But mostly it’s been about his play — positive, aggressive, unafraid of mistakes. He’s also got that rambunctious puppy quality about him, which has something to do with his age and personality, and also perhaps reflects his last few months in Glasgow.

“Every game I get the chance to pull on a Vancouver top I’m blessed and lucky to get a chance to play again,” said Aird, who signed with Vancouver in late January on one-year loan with an option to transfer. “I wasn’t playing much at Rangers towards the end, and just the chance to play football again, that’s what everyone wants to do.

“When you’re playing football you’re happy. That’s what you get paid to do. I’m just enjoying it, taking each day as it comes, working as hard as I can in training, and hopefully I can keep myself in the team.”

Aird has grabbed his opportunity and grown quickly and steadily — so much so that it’s tempting to wonder how good this guy might be in two or three years.

He didn’t arrive with a ton of fanfare, yet with each successive game he’s done himself a favour. He’s also raised the bar for the Caps’ other young players.

 

 

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Maybe this is one of the few rare occasions a loan player deemed surplus comes back a better player 

never rated him in the slightest but the reviews, the more I read are giving me second thoughts 

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How does it work with the transfer option? If Warburton sees him as a decent player once the loan is up, can we block this or is it out of our hands as there is an option for Vancouver to buy him?

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