Dante Campbell Inks Deal With Valour FC

Canadian Premier League side Valour FC has recruited a player it had previously taken in on loan for the second time this offseason, with midfielder Dante Campbell putting pen-to-paper on pro deal.

The 23-year-old had joined the club on loan from Toronto FC II during the pandemic-shortened Island Games season in 2020, featuring in five of the club’s seven matches.

Last season saw him suit up for the LA Galaxy II in the USL Championship, where he featured regularly as a substitute. He recorded one goal and one assist through thirty appearances stateside.

The five-foot-eight midfielder – who can also play as a centre-back – is a product of the Toronto FC Academy system, turning professional with Toronto FC II and accruing some 68 appearances for the team before his move to LA Galaxy II last year.

He’d also made five appearances for Canada at the U-20 level, featuring for the team at the 2018 Concacaf U-20 Championship in the US.

“We know he liked it here, although he never really even had the chance to sit in his house here in Winnipeg,” Valour boss Philip Dos Santos told Ed Tait in a club release.

The gaffer believes Campbell has improved his game on the pitch by leaps and bounds, now returning as a more mature player. With Dos Santos seeking a midfielder with versatility, the 23-year-old ticked a lot of boxes.

“He was sitting on a few opportunities, but that’s when we started the normal process of doing our homework,” added Dos Santos.

Campbell says he arrives to IG Field with more in his toolbox, and he’s ready to play for a team that isn’t the reserves of a parent club.

“Now I’m at an independent club where there are no first-team players, reserve players, players that have prioritized minutes… it’s just battling with the team.”

The length or financial details of Dante’s contract were not disclosed by Valour FC.