Christian Greco-Taylor, a promising defender for Canada’s Under-20 team and Pacific FC, is set to gain invaluable training experience over the next two weeks at Bundesliga club VfL Bochum 1848. Accompanied by three Pacific FC academy players, Greco-Taylor will immerse himself in a competitive environment with Bochum’s U-21 team, honing his skills and exposure in one of the best football leagues in the world.
The partnership between Canadian Premier League-based Pacific FC and VfL Bochum was established in May 2024, paving the way for this exciting opportunity. Greco-Taylor, 19, from Calgary, is joined by 16-year-old academy talents Will Edgson, Mattias Hallam and Mattias Vales, who are currently training with the U-21 team in the region from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
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PFC head coach James Merriman expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, recognizing the unique experience that the Bundesliga offers. “The Bundesliga is one of the top five leagues in the world and we are excited about our project with Bochum. Providing these young players with this experience, where the culture and passion for football is so strong, will be invaluable for them. can’t teach that in Canada. They’ll come back with that,” he said.
Edgson, Hallam and Vales, who all attend St. John’s Academy in Shawnigan Lake and play for the Vancouver Island Wave, part of the PFC academy program, are eager to make the most of this training camp. training.
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Greco-Taylor, recognized as one of the CPL’s top prospects, played a crucial role on defense, appearing in all three of Canada’s matches at last year’s CONCACAF Under-20 Championship. Merriman highlighted the club’s commitment to developing young talent, noting: “We often outpace the CPL in minutes played by players under the age of 21, and Greco-Taylor has been an important part of that. this last season and will be again this season. These young players have ambitions, and that is what we are trying to foster and why the PFC was formed.
On another note, Merriman also addressed the ongoing discussions surrounding Kunle Dada-Luke, the crowd-favorite attacking defender who has appeared in 117 games for Pacific FC since 2021 and is currently a free agent. With the FIFA 2025 winter transfer window opening, Merriman confirmed they are still in discussions with Dada-Luke, saying: “We like Kunle and are still in conversation with him. He is ambitious and has his sights set on Europe or MLS, and we must respect its ambitions.”
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The 2025 CPL season is scheduled to begin in April.
