The Ryan Gauld designated player contract extension in Vancouver says a whole lot about the Whitecaps and their commitment to high-performing players.
Let’s start with the fact, which can certainly be up for debate, that Gauld, although a Scottish international, was a relative unknown, who came to the Whitecaps in 2021 from an obscure Portuguese club, has made a name for himself in MLS as one of the most crafty center attacking midfielders in the League.
Los Angeles FC midfielder Kellyn Acosta (23) and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Gauld (25) battle for the ball during the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs at BC Place.
Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
It’s not his stats, which, let’s be clear are impressive — entering what will be his fourth season in the league behind 26 goals and 34 assists — but the leadership he’s been able to display in that period has led to a pair of Canadian Championships, a run in the CONCACAF Champions League and Vancouver perennially being a contender in the MLS Playoffs.
How much additionally Gauld will earn the extension is unknown, but we know it’s a multi-year extension that keeps the 28-year-old in a Whitecaps uniform through the 2027 season. He already collects a $2.4 million base salary from the team this season and is guaranteed a little over $2.5 million with incentives.
It’s that bit, that we won’t know until the MLS Players Association releases their figures again later this year, that is a wait-and-see, but Gauld’s play, one which led him to being a potential candidate for MLS Most Valuable Player honors has certainly been deserved of him finishing what has been a stellar club career to date in Vancouver with the Whitecaps.
“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,” according to a release from Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster. “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.”
Source : SBNation