January 31, 2024 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) – Vancouver FC News Release
Langley, BC – Championship defender David Norman returns home to join Vancouver FC’s roster on a two-year contract, the club announced on Wednesday.
Norman, 25, becomes the ninth B.C.-born player to join Vancouver’s squad this season, continuing the club’s mission of providing professional opportunities for local talent. Norman joins goalkeeper Callum Irving, defenders Kadin Chung, Anthony White, James Cameron and Paris Gee, midfielders Ben Fisk and Grady McDonnell, and forward Taryck ‘TJ’ Tahid as hometown athletes. Four of those nine athletes have joined VFC’s ranks in the past month.
“It has taken some time, but we have finally succeeded in returning David Norman to his home,” said Afshin Ghotbi, Head Coach, Vancouver FC. “David is tactical, comfortable on the ball, possesses a winning mentality, and will bring stability and consistency to our backline. His maturity both on and off the field will help our transition from an expansion club to a contention team.”
Norman is coming off a very successful 2023. He was part of the Northampton Town team that won promotion from League 2 to League 1 in the English Football League (EFL) and he lifted the FAI Cup with St. Patrick’s Athletics FC of League of Ireland’s Premier Division.
Born in New Westminster and raised in Coquitlam, Norman is the product of a local soccer family that has made a considerable impact on the Vancouver soccer scene for decades. Norman’s grandfather was one of the founders of Coquitlam Metro-Ford Soccer Club (CMFSC), where current VFC athletes Chung, White, and Gee all played, and he created various soccer development camps throughout the Lower Mainland & Fraser Valley. Norman’s father, David Norman Sr., represented the Vancouver Whitecaps over three stints between the 1980s and 1990s, and was a member of the legendary 1986 Canadian men’s national team, the first Canadian squad ever to qualify for a FIFA World Cup.
Under the guidance of family, Norman began his football journey with his grandfather’s club, CMFSC, before joining the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency program at the age of nine, where he spent the remainder of his youth career. After playing his freshman season with Oregon State University, Norman signed his first professional contract with Whitecaps FC 2 of the United Soccer League (USL) in 2017. Norman had an outstanding rookie season with WFC2, leading the team in duels won, chances created, and…
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