Just about everyone involved in Valour FC’s 2023 season agrees it’s best now to shelve that disappointment and move on, to focus on the here and now and not fixate on what’s fading in the rear-view mirror.
Yet, winger Kian Williams will insist his 2023 campaign – his introduction to Valour and the Canadian Premier League – did provide this silver lining: it convinced him he can grow his game in Canada, and he wants to take that next step here in Winnipeg.
All of that explains why the 23-year-old Englishman has put his name on a new contract with the club that will carry through the 2025 season.
“What it is for me is the coaches’ belief in me, and this is a place where I think I can improve,” said Williams on Tuesday following another training session at WSF South. “I want to be influential within the team and this is the place where I can do that, and to help us get wins while improving and develop my game.
“I like that responsibility of all that and being counted on as a guy when we need a goal or an assist. Also, now I understand how other teams play, how the league works with travel, and I feel like it’s only going to be better than last year. Now I’m used to everything. I know what to expect and I’m looking forward to it.”
Williams was a bright spot for Valour a year ago, tying for the team lead with four goals with Diego Gutiérrez and Walter Poncé – both since departed – while adding a club-leading five assists in league play. And, worth noting, he accomplished all that while working on a bum knee for a good portion of the season.
“It was a tough year both individually and collectively,” he admitted. “For me, I got injured after the game in June when we beat Forge and had a meniscus tear. It became very tough mentally and physically. I was training and sometimes I could only go a couple of times a week so that when I got to the game, I was giving it my all. When you’re playing with an injury like that… it was very, very tough, especially when the results weren’t going your way.
“Now I’m just looking forward to having it healed and then being able to show fully what I’m able to do. I’m proud of myself for making it through. I know I could have contributed more, but now I also know what I’m capable of and eager to show that. Our fans deserve more.”
Williams will be counted on for offensive production this season as part of the team’s roster makeover. His comfort level on and off the field having grown immensely since this time a year ago, he’ll also be counted on to become more of a leader in the room.
All of this made getting his name on a new contract critical for Valour GM and head coach Phillip Dos Santos.
“We anticipate a big season for him and so does he,” Dos Santos said. “We need to protect ourselves and keep assets to allow us to build something for the short term but also for the continuity of the club.
“He’s found a second home here. He’s happy and as soon as he opened the door (for a possible extension) we pushed hard. We’ve been pushing on this since October-November. These things sometimes take time. We’re glad we got it done because we love the player’s mentality and the way he commits to how we want to be on the field.
“You saw him play in the wide role and then help the team when he moved into the centre. He has qualities that allow you to play with a fluid front, with two or three (players). That has a value. But I come back to this again: his work ethic and his mentality will always allow him to find success.”
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‘V’ NOTES
-Wednesday’s training goes at WSF North at 10 a.m. with Thursday and Friday’s at WSF South, both at 10 a.m. All sessions are open to the public.