‘Time To Say Goodbye’: CPL Stalwart Ollie Bassett To Leave Ottawa

Ollie Bassett will leave Atletico Ottawa following the expiry of his contract later this year.

The midfielder has represented the nation’s capital no less than 92 times following his arrival from a championship-winning Pacific FC side, with the England-born club talisman scoring 26 goals and adding a further 12 assists for Ottleti, taking home a golden boot prize last season.

“The time has come to say goodbye to a place that I’ve been lucky enough to call home for the last three years,” revealed Bassett. “The City of Ottawa and the whole Atletico organization have given me so much and I’ll be forever grateful for the support of every single person since my journey started here back in 2022.”

There is no athlete who has donned the red-and-white more time than Bassett, who helped the club lay claim to a regular season championship title back in 2022 en route to Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year award wins. One needs to look no further than the block ‘Olliewood’ lettering at TD Place to see the impact he’s made in the nation’s capital.

His time in the CPL overall has been quite fruitful, especially considering he had dropped out of the professional game before joining Pacific in 2021. Ever the highlight-maker, one of his final acts at home was to score an olimpico in playoff action.

“It’s always tough to say goodbye to a player that made an impact on a club and city like Ollie did,” added Atletico Ottawa boss Carlos Gonzalez. “Ollie will always be part of the Atleti story. We thank him for his commitment to the club during the time he was here and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

It appears that Ollie Bassett’s next steps will likely take place outside of the Canadian Premier League, with the midfielder stating he felt like now was the right time and experience something new.

Header Image Photo Credit: Matt Zambonin / Freestyle Photography