Fraser Aird has found a new home in the Canadian Premier League.
The Canadian men’s national team winger has signed with FC Edmonton, the club announced Thursday, in a move that sees the 25-year-old Toronto native depart Valour FC after one season.
Aird appeared six times for Valour at The Island Games in PEI, scoring once from the penalty spot.
“We are excited to bring in Fraser to join our squad” FC Edmonton coach Alan Koch said in a media release. “His winning mentality and ability to create opportunities for his teammates are going to be a major part of our new team. I look forward to working with him to elevate his game to an even higher level. He has had excellent experiences in his career so far and we will help and support him in achieving individual and team success.”
The former Glasgow Rangers prospect sought a “fresh start” with Valour when he signed with the club in January, swapping the Scottish football system for the CPL earlier this season.
Aird broke into the Scottish soccer scene in 2012 when he signed for Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers as a 16-year-old. After working his way through the youth team setup, he graduated to the senior side that same year.
He helped Rangers climb its way back up the Scottish footballing system after the club was effectively relegated to the fourth tier, making 62 appearances and scoring nine goals across five seasons.
A loan move to Vancouver Whitecaps followed in 2016 while he was still at Rangers. Aird made 18 appearances for the MLS side before returning to Scotland where he enjoyed stints with Falkirk, Dunfermline Athletic, Dundee United, and Queen of the South.
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Aird debuted for the Canadian national team in 2015, after featuring in both Scotland and Canada’s youth setups. Valour’s Rob Gale coached Aird with the Canadian under-20s squad.
He has a total of eight caps with the senior team, scoring a goal (in a friendly vs. Scotland in 2017) and recording an assist.
Aird is the sixth FC Edmonton player confirmed for the 2021 CPL season, joining fellow newcomers Paris Gee and Kyle Porter and returnees Marcus Velado-Tsegaye, Chance Carter, and Antony Caceres.