Ryan Andre of Lakehill Division 1 is our Footballer of the Week.
Ryan played his youth soccer in Nanaimo, was selected by Metro teams, and the U21 Vic United PCSL team. In 2006, Ryan had a summer tryout with the Toronto Links and subsequently trained with them for 6 months. Even though, he wasn’t selected he enjoyed the experience. Ryan played at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington for 1 year and was being recruited by Seattle Pacific and Concordia Colleges. He has played for Nanaimo FC 1, Gorge FC 1 , Cowichan FC 1 and Cowichan United 2. He does not shy away from travel as he currently resides in Nanaimo, BC. He has travelled from Nanaimo to Victoria on a regular basis during the PCSL days, with Gorge FC 1 and now Lakehill FC 1.
Ryan has had success at every level, having scoring titles, league championships or Golden Boot awards. He has won 3 Jackson Cups, a Jackson Cup MVP, and several VISL All Star selections. He has also been a leading goal scorer at College and with Vic United.
Ryan loves the game of soccer and his father is his #1 supporter. Ryan’s favorite team is Liverpool and former player Stephen Gerrard. Ryan is known as Dr. Dre. (When fans try to heckle him, they might call him Jesus or say something regarding his hair, but it just makes him play harder) One of his favorite lines is, “I may not look like a soccer player, but I always get the job done.” He enjoys a smoothie prior to each game and is always smiling. Ryan enjoys playing indoor soccer and outdoor soccer during the spring/summer months with a Cowichan Aboriginal team.
The Lakehill Coach adds that Ryan likes to maintain eye contact with his teammates as he receives a pass and he definitely likes to voice his opinion. He is a welcome addition to the team and currently leads the division with 17 goals. Of note, he has scored 18 goals as his personal best in the VISL. He is a hard worker, dedicated and likes to win. He is a strong goal scorer/finisher and his unique bump, grind, and finesse style works. He just loves to score goals!
Some might categorize Ryan as the comeback player of the year. Having a year in Div 2 last year, he has jumped right back into the Div 1 scene and not skipped a beat.
Coming off a couple big performances before the Xmas break, we wish him continued success for the remainder of the year.
Congratulations on being this week’s Footballer of the Week.
