The next chapter in Rocco Romeo’s soccer career — and perhaps the most-important — will come in Winnipeg and in Valour FC colours.

The club announced today they have signed the big centre back after TFC did not pick up the option on his contract for 2022. The 21-year-old Toronto product will be en route next week for the opening of Valour’s camp in mid-February.

“I had some options after the decision by TFC, but felt very comfortable when I was in Winnipeg on loan last season and now to be a part of the team as a permanent player is exciting,” Romeo told valourfootball.club. “I’m looking forward to getting back with the guys and seeing familiar faces again.”

Romeo joined Valour late last July and his addition was a timely one after the loss of centre back and co-captain Andrew Jean-Baptiste with a season-ending knee injury. He would suit up for 18 matches last year, including two Canadian Championship contests, totalling 1,620 minutes while scoring two goals.

He’ll now join a collection of centre backs that includes Jean-Baptiste, Stefan Cebara and Tony Mikhael.

“Coming into a new season with a full preseason is going to be very good for him,” said Valour GM and Head Coach Phillip Dos Santos. “He’ll come with the confidence that he knows he can play in this league. He knows he has the confidence of the coaching staff, so he’ll come in confident, renewed and with good energy.

“Now, there’s competition for the position. He’s going to have to be good and he’s going to have to be consistent and fight for a spot. He still has a lot of room to grow. In that position, consistency is key – not just from game to game, but inside the game. Once he starts finding that, he has extremely good qualities on the ball, he’s good in the air, he’s got an athletic side to him… he has a lot of good tools for a centre back and comes from a great academy system that educated the player on what it takes to be a pro. He’s got a lot going for him.”

Romeo arrived in Winnipeg last summer with an already-established relationship with former Valour FC boss Rob Gale, as the two had worked together previously with Canada’s U-17 and U-20 squads. But it’s what has stuck with Romeo from the end of the year – a late-season push for a playoff spot that fell one point shy – that had him excited about a return for 2022.

“I like Phillip’s philosophy and his mindset,” Romeo said. “Every day he was holding himself to a certain standard and we had to live up to that as well. You saw that in the final stretch of our season last year when we were getting really big results and were close to making that fourth spot for the playoffs.

“I wanted to be in a competitive environment again and to play meaningful games and be around people who are going to elevate and push my game. Valour is a good place for me to be for that.”

Romeo doesn’t turn 22 until March. And although TFC did not renew his contract, he has complete control in how the next part of his script is written and that’s what makes this coming season so important.

Familiarity was an important part of his decision to return to Valour, as was the camaraderie in the locker room.

“When I came last year on loan, I was very surprised at how well everyone got along,” he said. “It was like one band of brothers. It was nice to see because on other teams players sometimes get jealous or they want to play and aren’t always supportive of their teammates.

“But Valour, they got along with each other on and off the pitch. There’s a good core of group of guys and it seemed like when they were in the bubble last year it really brought the team together. Then when I joined, I just tried to play my role to help.

“I have dreams and aspirations I want to achieve in my football career,” he added. “I’m still young for a centre back. I have to pay my dues and get more experience at my position because it’s a position where you have to be very reliable, and the team has to trust you. I just want to take my game to the next level and elevate it as much as possible and help the team get results. I’m a very competitive person and I want to win championships. That’s just in my DNA.”