Vancouver Whitecaps reward Canadian midfielder Russell Teibert with new contract

The Vancouver Whitecaps have rewarded Canadian midfielder Russell Teibert with a new contract that runs through 2023 with an option for 2024.

The 27-year-old from Niagara Falls, Ont., celebrated his 200th first-team appearance in all competitions with the Whitecaps on Wednesday, when he captained the club against the San Jose Earthquakes at the MLS is Back Tournament.

Axel Schuster, the Whitecaps CEO and sporting director, called Teibert “a model professional on the pitch and in the community.”

“He is a presence in our locker-room that his teammates look upon for leadership and someone our academy players look up to and respect,” he added in a statement.

Teibert’s existing deal was to expire at the end of the season. He made US$190,000 last season, which ranked 12th among the Whitecaps.

He stands second on the team in career MLS assists (17) and third in appearances (168), starts (125), minutes played (11,307), chances created (125), successful passes (4.482) and passing accuracy (85.93 per cent, minimum 1,000 successful passes).

“We are building a club that our supporters will be proud of, and I’m here for the long term,” said Teibert, who has three goals and 21 assists across all competitions this season. “What the club has been doing, especially in the community over the past couple of months, convinced me this is an organization that I’d want to continue to grow with and a city I want to continue to call home.”

The Canadian international joined the Whitecaps’ youth ranks in 2008 after a brief stint in the Toronto FC academy. A former two-time Canada under-17 player of the year, Teibert has won 27 senior caps for Canada with two goals.

The Whitecaps (1-2-0) play the Seattle Sounders (1-1-2) on Sunday at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2020.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press