Connor James Signs For Third Year With FC Edmonton

FC Edmonton is bringing back Connor James for the 2021 Canadian Premier League season, marking the goalkeeper’s third straight year with the club.

James was the de facto starter for FC Edmonton during its Island Games campaign last year, making six of seven starts. It was a tough campaign for both James and the Eddies, with the 24-year-old conceding thirteen times as the Alberta-based side went winless at the bubble tournament.

The previous campaign saw James arrive to the club by way of the CPL-U SPORTS Draft, with the goalkeeper making 22 appearances and earning a Golden Glove nomination after achieving seven clean sheets for the Eddies.

FC Edmonton has played a significant role in my life for many years and I’m extremely excited to be continuing my journey with the club. Alan has a great vision for the future of the club, with strong values and clear objectives. I am happy to play a part in the future.

Connor James

New FC Edmonton gaffer Alan Koch has brought back most key pieces of his backline, with Ramon Soria, Mele Temguia, and Jeannot Esua all returning and Congolese left-back Sharly Mabussi arriving as a fresh face.

Like last year, it looks like the potential return of Amer Didic is being kept till late in the transfer window, with an MLS move once again remaining a possibility.

The new head coach states that he’ll be working on improving the club’s performances in defensive set pieces, which he’ll hope will see James collect more clean sheets since his last one on September 2, 2019 against the Halifax Wanderers.

We are looking forward to welcoming Connor back for his third season with the club. He has had good experiences so far in the CPL, and we look forward to taking him to an even higher level this year. His mentality, professionalism, and attitude are major positive influencers on creating the right training environment we need to have for team success.

Alan Koch

James had battled for the starting spot with Dylon Powley, who tweeted about signing a 2021 contract without mentioning the club two months ago but took down the post shortly after. At the moment, it’s unclear who will be competing with James for the starting spot at Clarke Stadium next year.

The Edmonton-born goalkeeper becomes the 14th FC Edmonton signing for the 2021 Canadian Premier League season, and the sixth Eddie to sign on for a third consecutive year. With new faces like Shamit Shome, Kyle Porter, and Fraser Aird arriving in the camp, there’s going to be a good mix of new and old faces in the upcoming season.

The local athlete had once commented that the Canadian Premier League showed a lot of parity in its fixtures, and he’ll be hoping that rings true as the Eddies seek to cover some proverbial ground in competitiveness this year. With new Club President Eric Newendorp aiming to see the side hoisting a North Star Shield within the next five years, there’ll be a curious eyes watching to see how the current Eddies rebuild performs.

FC Edmonton did not disclose the length or financial details of James’ contract with the club.