A snapshot from earlier this week during Valour FC’s third on-field session of training camp…
There was Valour FC boss Phillip Dos Santos stopping the session to speak momentarily to Owen Sheppard – the club’s first selection, first overall, in this year’s Canadian Premier League U-Sports Draft. The chat continued afterward, not long after assistant coach Daryl Fordyce also spent some time with the 21-year-old Canadian forward out of Cape Breton University.
To follow that up this assessment of Valour’s young prospect from Dos Santos:
“We’re pleasantly surprised. He has shown us a level of maturity in his first few days training with us. You never know until you see it. You don’t really know the character of the individual and it’s been impressive to see how he’s handled himself in this environment and on the field. It’s very important because that’s what is going to allow him to grow.
“We knew he had football ability and the physical ability to cope with the demands, but we didn’t know what kind of kid he would be training in this environment. He’s a bright, bright kid.”
Sheppard, like all U-Sports picks, arrived in Valour training with a solid resumé after scoring nine goals in 11 matches with the Capers last year before being named MVP at the U Sports Men’s Soccer Championship. The club had previously sent Fordyce to the championship to scout the tournament in person and Sheppard made an instant impression.
“Within 10 seconds I noticed Owen,” Fordyce told us last December following the draft. “He caught my eye right away. He’s very, very quick. He’s got good pace and power, and he scored two goals in the first half of the first game at the championships.
“… He’s one of those players that any time he was going to get on the ball in an attack he made me sit up a little bit and take better notice. When players grab your attention like that, then you have to see what he’s about. And after watching him play I said to Phil, ‘We’ve got to grab this kid with the first pick.’”
That’s translated to training here this week. Sheppard has shown flashes and been quick to play the sponge to soak up information from anyone willing to share, be it via the coaching staff or his current teammates.
“The standard is really high, that’s my main first impression. It’s a new city for me and a good opportunity. It’s been about a week for me now and it’s been great. I couldn’t be more excited,” he said.
“The quality is noticeable. Everything is so sharp and there’s very few mistakes out here. Everyone is here for a reason – to be first place in the league and do something different. Everyone here is meant to be here and there are so many quality players with so much discipline. Everyone holds each other accountable.”
What role Sheppard might have with Valour should he continue this progression and make the squad is still to be determined. The team added veteran forward Shaan Hundal in the offseason and also signed Australian Jordi Swibel and former Pacific FC prospect Abdul Binate.
What he’s also shown through the first week is a quiet confidence that is evident at work.
“I’ve always been a person that keeps my feet on the ground. I never get too high in the sky or anything,” said Sheppard. “It really is one day at a time for me. I do believe I’m here for a reason. They picked me and if they didn’t want me here, I wouldn’t be here. That’s the kind of confidence I take into every day.
“I want to try and be a standout player here, even though I don’t have a lot of experience. I’m going to work hard to make sure I can get a contract at the end of the day.”
Again, back to those snapshots during and after training the other day and his dealings with Dos Santos and Fordyce…
“How players are receptive in those situations is so important,” Dos Santos said. “If they’re not ready or not willing to take it that won’t help you much. He understands the responsibility of where he was picked and it’s also a sign of trust. We want him to enjoy this process and take everything in because it only happens one time in your career.
“He’s someone that’s going to help the team. He’s someone with phenomenal character and mentality.
“Let’s see how it goes now. It’s early in the process. There will be ups and downs, disappointments, and excessive joys. That’s all part of it. We need to be patient with him and allow him the right progression.”
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‘V’ NOTES
-Canada Soccer unveiled the preliminary round draw for the 2024 Canadian Championship and Valour has drawn Atlético Ottawa as an opponent.
Valour will be in the nation’s capital for the match – the first round is single knockout — with the exact date sometime between April 23-May 1, to be determined later. The contest comes in the midst of a gruelling stretch to open the season for Valour, what with the club’s first seven matches all on the road to accommodate the potential weather here in Winnipeg and the installation of new turf at IG Field.