Valour FC’s newest face is an experienced forward with solid credentials and a maturity that should make him a good fit in the Canadian Premier League club’s locker room.
Oh, and if his new teammates might ever need extra counselling or advice, Jaime Siaj – who has a psychology degree from Pfeiffer University in North Carolina and is pursuing a Masters in sports psych – could be there for them, too.
Valour announced the signing of the 27-year-old striker this week and the Spaniard, who has also represented Jordan internationally through his father’s heritage, is the latest part of the club’s offseason makeover.
“I know it’s a new league and it will continue to grow a lot. I’m a player looking for bigger challenges and to grow my profile and so this league fits me perfectly,” Siaj told Valourfootball.club in a conversation from his home in Madrid, Spain. “I think I can bring a lot to the league and hopefully grow alongside Valour as a club in the Canadian league.
“I’m a player who can adapt to anything quickly. All my experiences have given me the different tools to be comfortable around my teammates and create a good environment in the locker room. I hope I can help the team not only on the field by scoring goals, but in the locker room with all my experiences through the places I’ve been.
“I’ve been very privileged to live all over the world,” Siaj added. “I’ve met people and been to places I never would have imagined through soccer. So, when I had the opportunity to go to Canada, I was thankful for it because it’s a newer place and a new adventure for me. I’m looking forward to it.”
Siaj spent last fall with the Finn Harps of the League of Ireland Premier Division, scoring once in nine matches. He has also spent time with Al Ansar in Lebanon, Messina in Sicily, Khaitan Sporting Club of Kuwait and Inter de Madrid dating back to 2020. Prior to that, Siaj played exclusively in the United States – scoring a whopping 47 goals in 69 matches during his university days at Pfeiffer, leading to him being selected by the Colorado Rapids in the third round, 45th overall, followed by stints with the Charlotte Independence, Oklahoma City Energy and Tampa Bay Rowdies.
He came on Valour’s radar through his agent, and he also is friends with Drew Beckie, who recently retired from Atlético Ottawa.
“This is a guy that went to university in the U.S. and has travelled in his playing days and is familiar with the North American game through his time in the USL,” said Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos. “So, he’s someone who is a mature presence in our locker room and can adapt quickly.
“He was playing with the Finn Arms in the League of Ireland, which is a very, very difficult league. We saw a lot of things that made us believe he would be a very good addition for the club and in the positional profile we were looking for in our Number 9 (striker).”
Valour will enter the 2023 CPL season with several new faces looking to replace Moses Dyer, the team’s all-time leading scorer, who signed with FC Tulsa – along with left back Brett Levis – and attacking players like Sean Rea, Willy Akio and Alex Riggi, along with veteran and co-captain Daryl Fordyce.
“We’ve signed Kian (Williams), we’ve signed Pacifique (Niyongabire, both forwards) and now we’re adding like Jaime,” said Dos Santos. “We’ve kept players like Matteo de Brienne and Walter Poncé. It’s always going to be the sum of the parts and the contributions need to come from everyone. What we’ve added is quality to our front line and I think we have more attacking pieces than last year.
“A player like Jaime has the ability to stretch the opposition and play closer to the centre back. He’s also a player that allows us to link up to him; he’s a player that likes to be in the box and find the areas where he’s going to be dangerous. I’m not taking away from anyone who was here previously, but he brings us a dimension we haven’t had in the last few seasons. He’s tall and could be a very good reference for us up top.”