Eric James Lajeunesse (born March 10, 2003) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Pacific FC in the Canadian Premier League.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Eric James Lajeunesse | ||
| Date of birth | March 10, 2003 | ||
| Place of birth | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Pacific FC | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2011–2021 | Ottawa St. Anthony Futuro Academy | ||
| 2021–2022 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | UBC Thunderbirds | 40 | (2) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022 | Whitecaps FC Academy | 12 | (0) |
| 2023– | Pacific FC | 6 | (0) |
| 2023 | → Nautsa’mawt FC (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 12, 2024 | |||
Early life
From 2011 to 2021, he played with the Ottawa St. Anthony Futuro Academy.[1] In 2019, he had a five-week trial with English club Plymouth Argyle's U18 team.[2] In September 2021, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps academy.[2]
University career
In 2022, Lajeunesse began attending the University of British Columbia, where he played for the men's soccer team.[3] While at UBC, he pursued a biology degree.[4] On September 25, 2022, he scored his first goal in a 4-0 victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies.[5] In his rookie season, he was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year and the U Sports Rookie of the Year.[6] In 2023, he was named to both the Canada West and U Sports First Team All-Stars.[7][8]
Club career
In 2022, he played with the Whitecaps FC Academy in League1 British Columbia.[9] He made his debut on May 22 against Victoria Highlanders FC.[10]
At the 2023 CPL-U Sports Draft, Lajeunesse was selected in the first round (6th overall) by Pacific FC.[11][12] After attending pre-season with the club, he signed a U-Sports development contract with the club in April 2023, allowing him to maintain his university eligibility.[13] He made his professional debut on April 21 in a 2023 Canadian Championship match against Cavalry FC.[14] He also spent some time on loan with Pacific's League1 British Columbia affiliate Nautsa’mawt FC in 2023.[15] In August 2023, he departed the club to return to university, per the terms of his U Sports contract.[16][17] Pacific subsequently chose to retain his rights for the following season.[18] In April 2024, he signed another U Sports contract with the club for the 2024 season.[19]
Career statistics
- As of August 17, 2023[20]
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Whitecaps FC Academy | 2022 | League1 British Columbia | 12 | 0 | – | – | – | 12 | 0 | |||
| Pacific FC | 2023 | Canadian Premier League | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 7 | 0 | |
| Nautsa’mawt FC (loan) | 2023[15] | League1 British Columbia | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
References
External links
- Eric Lajeunesse at Soccerway