Alessandro Riggi answers the questions calmly and succinctly, without even a trace of bitterness, frustration or even a hint of anger.

Sunday afternoon at IG Field the Valour FC midfielder will line up against his old squad, HFX Wanderers, for the second time in this still-young Canadian Premier League season.

And there inside Riggi’s stat line – three goals in 548 minutes spread across 10 appearances for Valour – is something of a revelation.

“I’m at about the same amount of minutes played right now this season as the total I had all of last season (with HFX),” said Riggi in a conversation with valourfootball.club this week. “That’s a big statement right there.

“This year has been like a second chance for me, a breath of fresh air. One day everything seems like such an impossible task. And then you wake up and you’re with a team that is fighting for a playoff spot. It gives you life, and it gives you hope.”

Valour FC officially brought Riggi aboard in February, and his arrival seemed like a solid depth move at the time, as they were adding a 29-year-old veteran with 24 CPL appearances over two seasons with Wanderers, including just 622 minutes last year.

What perhaps wasn’t as evident upon his signing was Riggi’s inner drive. He’s already overcome so much in his career in terms of injuries https://valourfc.canpl.ca/article/i-tell-myself-during-the-offseason-when-the-days-are-long-i-cant-wait-to-go-back-im-so-lucky and has been motivated to show his old club that he still has so much to offer.

“It definitely gives you some extra motivation for the game, easy motivation, when you play your old team,” he said. “I was basically told they didn’t believe in my talent and didn’t see a place for me there. At the end of the day a coach plays who he thinks is best suited for his system and the team to get results and for their own reasons they just didn’t see a place for me there… I guess.

“Everything happens for a reason. Not to sound cocky or anything, but I believe I have a lot of talent in this game and a lot of experience. If one door closes, you have to believe there is something greater for you after somewhere else.

“I was confident I would find a place; I just didn’t know where and how long I would have to wait which is always a big scary. But I used that as motivation, too, and stayed ready and kept hearing those words from the coach every day. It was very, very easy for me to use that energy to keep training in the offseason every single day.

“Luckily the opportunity came here with Valour, and I was ready mentally and physically, especially, for the challenge.”

It helped that Riggi had a connection with Valour FC GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos during their days in Quebec and with various Canadian national programs. Riggi had been contemplating other playing options overseas when he heard from the Valou boss.

“It wasn’t only about a decision to stay home,” he said. “It was more because my first year in the CPL was a seven-game tournament (the Island Games in PEI during 2020) and was able to help our team get to the finals, but it was very short, and I couldn’t really showcase myself.

“The second season (2021) I basically didn’t play.

“When the opportunity came to play here, something inside said, ‘Are you really ready to leave without proving you could play in this league the way you did in the USL?’ I talked to myself and said, ‘No, it’s not time to leave. There’s another opportunity to play in this league and I’m going to take it.’ I just wasn’t done with the CPL.

“When I spoke to Phil his vision, his goal and his obsession with the game very much aligned with my own and that helped the transition.”

Riggi three goals heading into Sunday’s match has him tied for second on the team with Sean Rea, one behind Moses Dyer. He’s already flashed his touch in the box, and his speed going forward makes him exactly the kind of attacking player Dos Santos covets.

“I knew of his qualities going forward and how unpredictable he can be for the opposition,” said Dos Santos. “We knew he was clean technically, that he was electric and very dynamic with an ability to finish.

“We’ve worked with him on his defensive mindset and consistently committed to what his role is when he doesn’t have the ball. He’s accepted that and is embracing it as challenge, and it’s really allowed him to elevate the quality of his game.

“He’s in a good moment, and it’s a good time for him to play his former team.”

Critical now for Riggi is to stay healthy and keep piling up the minutes. He’s already proven something to rival teams in the CPL and, perhaps most importantly, to himself.

“That was one of the objectives,” he said. “I knew if I came and dedicated myself to my team, my teammates and my staff that things usually end up working out that way.

“That’s what I’ve been doing: putting my head down and working and I can confidently say I’m getting into a rhythm now. Hopefully it can stay like this.”