Oh Captain: Pacific Re-Signs Josh Heard

Vancouver Isle native Josh Heard isn’t going anywhere: the Pacific FC team captain has just signed a new two-year deal on Canada’s west coast.

The 30-year-old midfielder has made 118 appearances for the club since arriving home in 2020, helping the side to a national championship the subsequent season. He took to the pitch 18 times this year, scoring two goals to mark his second season as the club’s de facto captain.

“This is my home and is where I wanted to be,” says Heard. “There’s no other place in Canada that I would want to play football.”

Heard was one of three athletes that Pacific had an option on heading into the offseason, with negotiations ultimately seeing the midfielder sign a multi-year deal. The side must still make decisions on Kunle Dada-Luke and Ayman Sellouf, whilst midfielders Cedric Toussaint and Paul Amedume have expiring contracts.

The 2025 CPL season will be Heard’s sixth with the club. He clocks in as the club’s third all-time appearance leader behind Sean Young and Thomas Meilleur-Giguere, the latter of whom just left for Halifax.

“Josh is an important player in our team,” said PFC head coach James Merriman. “He gives everything in each match and every time he puts on the jersey, he plays with his heart on his sleeve. He is growing all the time in his leadership role as captain and continues to challenge the daily environment.”

Heard is the club’s seventh confirmed returning athlete from its 2024 roster. He’ll be joined in attack by Dario Zanatta, while the midfield contingent only has another Isle native in Sean Young locked in.

While born in Cardiff, Heard was raised on the Isle and found himself drafted by the Vancouver Whitecaps in 2016. He was ultimately signed by USL side Bethlehem Steel, and later moved to Real Salt Lake’s USL affiliate, the Real Monarchs, before transferring to third-tier Austrian side Pinzgau Saalfelden before signing for Pacific in 2020.

Header Image Photo Credit: John Jacques