Cavalry FC signs David Norman Jr. to multi-year deal

2021-03-02

Cavalry FC bolstered its midfield ranks on Tuesday with the announcement that it has signed David Norman Jr. to a multi-year deal.

Norman Jr., a 22-year-old native of B.C., joins the Cavs after spending the 2020 season in MLS with Inter Miami.

“He has many great tools that suit the way we play and the culture we are creating, but it’s his intangible traits that tipped the scales for us. He is a 10/10 character with a fiercely driven mindset, from a good football family and had a very good football education thus far. We feel there’s something we can add to his game that will make him even better,” Cavalry coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said in a media release.

The son of former Canadian international David Norman Sr., Norman Jr. began in the Vancouver Whitecaps youth program at the age of nine. Following one year at NCAA Division I side Oregon State University in 2016, where he led the team in assists as a freshman, Norman Jr. signed with Whitecaps FC 2 of the USL.

The six-foot-two midfielder was named Player of the Year for Whitecaps 2 after leading the team in assists, chances created and duels won. After signing with the Whitecaps senior team in December of 2017, Norman Jr. was loaned to Scottish side Queen of the South.

Following the completion of his loan, the Whitecaps traded Norman Jr. to Inter Miami. But before joining the MLS club he was sent on loan again, this time to Pacific FC, where he played in eight games for the Tridents during the 2019 CPL season.

Due to a pre-season injury, he didn’t make an appearance for Miami in 2020 and his option was declined, paving the way for him to join the Cavs as a free agent.

On the international stage, Norman Jr. has represented Canada at the U-15, U-17 levels, and with Canada’s U-23 side that featured in the 2018 Toulon Tournament. He was also recently named to Canada’s provisional 50-man roster for this month’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Mexico.

“The ambition to win competitions and be the best football club in Canada really drew me here and I hope to play a part in making that happen,” Norman Jr. said.

With this announcement, Cavalry now has 18 players signed for the 2021 CPL season. Norman Jr. is the eighth newcomer so far, joining fellow Canadians Joseph Di Chiara and Tyson Farago, as well as several new internationals.

The Cavs also selected a pair of young local talents at this year’s CPL-U SPORTS Draft, with midfielder Victor Loturi and fullback Ethan Keen, both of Mount Royal University, earning invites to pre-season training camp.