Pacific FC today announced the club has picked up the 2024 option of Thomas Meilleur-Giguère, bringing the defender, known to his teammates and fans as TMG, back for a fourth season on Vancouver Island.

Meilleur-Giguère, 26, played 2,789 minutes over 31 appearances in 2023, when he not only took care of his primary duties as a defender but scored four goals for Pacific and played a key part in the Tridents’ leadership team alongside captain Josh Heard.

“TMG is a warrior on our backline,” said Jamar Dixon, Manager of Football, Pacific FC. “Throughout his four seasons with us he has been a consistent, strong part of our club and he found his eye for the goal last season. We’re thrilled to have him back in Langford for another year.”

Meilleur-Giguère will once again be joined on the backline by Paul Amedume, who is entering the last year of a three-year contract with Pacific in 2024. Amedume, 20, went on loan to MLS Next Pro’s North Texas SC in 2022 and returned to Pacific in 2023. He made 15 appearances last season, totalling 653 minutes.

“Paul has a lot of potential and has showed his quality in the games that he played. He fits in with the team easily, and we’re happy to bring him back,” said Dixon. “We look forward to having him come into this season and challenge other players for a starting role on the roster. We believe in him as a player.”

Joining Meilleur-Giguère and Amedume as part of Pacific’s defensive core is 20-year-old goalkeeper Emil Gazdov, who enters 2024 on a new contract with the club, an extension which was previously announced last April. His new contract will keep him in Langford through 2025, with a club option for 2026.

“Emil has a high ceiling and bright future ahead of him,” said Dixon. “He has a lot of work to do, and we look forward to having him build off the positive momentum he experienced at the end of last season.”

Gazdov signed with Pacific as a teenager in 2020 before spending two years on loan with FC Nürnberg in Germany. He returned to Vancouver Island in 2022 to serve the club in goal and logged 2,070 minutes in 21 appearances for Pacific in 2023, making 48 saves and earning five shutouts.