Vancouver Whitecaps player signs with agent to pursue better options

As sports fans, we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors because the world of sports is a large business where anything can happen. Tomas Ribeiro, a Vancouver Whitecaps academy midfielder, is currently in negotiations to be released from his club.
According to Ribeiro, most MLS player contracts don’t expire until the age of 23, or if a big club is willing to pay their release clause. However, due to lack of playing time, Ribeiro is trying to find a way out of his contract, “If you get released from the academy, you are free from the contract and can explore new opportunities”, Ribeiro said, “But since I left on my own will, Whitecaps can hold this contract against me.”
After leaving Vancouver, Ribeiro moved back to his hometown of London, ON. During Ribeiro’s time back home, he decided it’s best to sign with an agent for a better chance to be released, “I needed to sign with an agent because he can find better opportunities for me and has many connections that can benefit my career,” Ribeiro said.
Although Ribeiro’s time in Vancouver hasn’t gone according to plan, he initially chose to sign there because of the great background they have for developing young players, “They have developed me in many ways, they even changed my position which increased my in-game IQ and allowed me to see the game from a different perspective,” Ribeiro said about the Whitecaps development team.

Another factor that helped Ribeiro decide on signing in Vancouver was the playing level, “We were playing in the USSDA, the highest level of soccer in North America for athletes born in 2002.”
Ribeiro moved across the country to pursue a career, but that doesn’t mean his adjustment to the big city life was easy, “Moving from a small town like London, to a big city like Vancouver was a big change. It took a while to adjust, but there are so many fun things to do in Vancouver that London doesn’t offer,” Ribeiro said.
After Ribeiro’s journey, he hopes to get released from the club soon so he can find a better opportunity to develop himself and make a career out of the sport he loves.