TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Retirement
Longtime Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Russell Teibert is retiring from professional soccer and will transition to a role in the club's front office, it was announced Friday.
The 31-year-old concludes his 16-year career as Vancouver's longest-tenured player, having spent every season as a pro with the organization. Teibert's run concludes with 301 appearances across all competitions (fourth all-time among Whitecaps players), scoring five goals and contributing 24 assists.
His 253 career regular-season appearances and 193 starts also stand as club records.
“First of all, we want to congratulate Russell on an incredible career and thank him for all his contributions to the club over these last 16 years as a player,” Whitecaps CEO & sporting director Axel Schuster said in a release.
“Russell has always led by example with his professionalism on and off the pitch, always showing a desire to give his all every time he wore the crest."
Teibert's impressive longevity included standout performances in Canadian Championship play, where he holds the tournament record for career appearances with 32. With the Niagara Falls, Ontario native as a key cog, the Whitecaps won the domestic trophy three times (2015, '22 and '23), as he earned the George Gross Memorial Trophy as the tournament's most valuable player in 2015.
A Canadian international, Teibert also received 27 senior caps from his country, scoring two international goals.
"Years ago, I made a promise to myself and our club; I would only be satisfied taking my work boots off when our jersey was in a better place," Teibert wrote in a statement. "We've been through the mud together and have had to clean our boots time and time again. Our climb has only made us stronger. Today I hang my boots proudly, knowing we made good on that promise."
After a bye in Matchday 1, Vancouver open their 2024 regular-season campaign on Saturday when they host Charlotte FC at BC Place (7:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).
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