It’s been quite a couple of years for Canadian defender Mason Trafford. After signing a two year contract with Finnish club IFK Mariehamn in 2010, the 26 year old central defender/fullback now finds himself a free agent after enjoying a very satisfying and successful year both individually and team-wise with Mariehanm in the Finnish top flight.

Over the past year, Trafford established himself as one of the top left backs in the Veikkausliiga, starting 35 matches between League and Cup matches, helping the club to its best ever finish at 4th place at 51 points all while playing a key role in the defense securing a team record thirteen clean sheets in 2012.

See also: RedNation Interview Series - Mason Trafford

Now brimming with confidence and looking to take his game to an even higher level, Trafford is in the enviable position of being available on a free transfer at the exact time that he is coming off his best season as a professional.

“I am a free agent. I had the option to go back to Mariehamn or even maybe some other places in Finland, but I kind of decided not to take the easy option and to go back there. I’ve decided to gamble on myself a bit to try and take the next step in my soccer career. Right now I have been looking at possibly going to Sweden or the MLS if I can get a good opportunity there,” says Trafford.

“I feel really good about the year I had. Obviously our team had the best year in its history. And I think I had my best year as a pro. I’m twenty-six now and I kind of thought to myself ‘let’s really do this now’. I’ve got some experience now and I have had a couple of good years and I’m thinking I’m ready to take things to the next step. I’m hoping that is what I will do in the next few weeks here. My agent and I are holding out for what I really want to do and what really excites me.”

Mason Trafford - 2012 Central Defender Highlights



In addition to his impressive recent form, strong athletic abilities and his versatility as a natural left footed player, Trafford is hoping that his dual citizenship and UK Ancestral Visa will also make him that much more appealing to clubs in North America and the United Kingdom.

“I do have both Canadian and U.S. passports and hopefully that makes me more attractive to MLS teams in both Canada and the United States. I also have a UK Ancestral Visa which I have already activated in case I want to go over to somewhere in the UK. That is one of the main countries that it is difficult to get into if you don’t have a passport and I do have access via the Visa, so I hope that makes me more attractive as a player to clubs,” adds Trafford.

While Trafford is hoping to take his career in a new direction, he was also quick to admit that he is not only appreciative of the opportunity that Mariehamn provided him with, but also the top class environment the team fostered over the past calendar year.

“My first year in Finland was a really challenging year and, to be completely honest, I actually wasn’t looking forward to going back at all (for his second year). But as soon as I got back to Mariehamn at the start of 2012, the environment was really unbelievable and it really allowed me to grow as a player. I think the reason that I have had my best season as a professional is because I was in an environment where I was really supported and encouraged to grow. We had some really good coaches and some really good leaders on the team and we really fostered a culture of growing as individuals, which would in turn grow the team,” says Trafford.

“It was a strange feeling for me at the end of the year and I think it was a sign that it was a really good year, because even after our last game I still really wanted to keep playing. I felt like I was just getting better with every game and it had been a while since it had felt that good playing. I do feel like I have a lot to offer whatever club I land at and I really want to continue this development curve I have been on. Finland was something of a launching point for me and I accomplished a lot there. But I’m not finished and that is why I really want to take this next step.”

Mason Trafford - 2012 Left Defender Highlights



Trafford, who grew up in Vancouver, will now endeavor to follow in the footsteps of Canadian players such as Tosaint Ricketts and Randy Edwini-Bonsu, who used their success in Finland as a launching pad to other leagues in Europe. According to the player, given that he is coming off a season that he really did not want to see come to an end, he is now both excited about the possibilities for growth inherent in wherever he lands next and cautious about making the right next move for a career that looks to be heading in the right direction.

“Maybe in past years when you are a young football player who is just trying to make it, I think you are more inclined to just taking anything because it is an opportunity and you just want to play football so bad that you would move to the Arctic circle there in Finland just to play. Whereas now, after having such a good year with Mariehamn and seeing what it can be like to be at a really good place, I am looking for something where I can both give a lot to a club and they will give back to me. I want to be at a place with a really good coach. I want to be in a good league and I want to be somewhere where I can be happy outside of football as well, to be honest,” says Trafford.

“Growing as a person is also very important to me at this stage of my life and this stage of my career and I don’t want to just go somewhere just because they are offering a contract. I am being more picky this year and that is essentially why I said no to Mariehamn. That was a great place and it more or less had all the ingredients of being a great place, but I have just decided to try and go one step beyond that now. It now remains to be seen if I will find the right fit and a club will find the right fit in me as the type of player that they want to bring in also.”

Ultimately, as Trafford looks forward and imagines how he would like his career to unfold over the next several years, several things are paramount to him. He wants to take his career to the highest level possible and to grow as both a player and person via that journey. The 6 foot 2 defender has also now set the goal to represent his country at the International level.

“I kind of have my hopes set on the Canadian National team. I hope that I can get a look within the next year or two. That’s obviously a dream for any player and maybe a few years ago that seemed a bit far off in the distance. But I think now with how far I have come it is more realistic and closer in the sights now. That’s one thing that I would like to keep working towards. Obviously, wherever I am at the club level is a big part of getting onto the Canadian National Team. I need to be with a club that is going to allow me to get a decent shot at being with the national team. That stuff all kind of goes hand in hand. I also want to be playing for a good club in a really good league and to continue to develop and just take that next step past the Finnish Veikkausliiga. It’s a pretty good league, but if I can go one better, then I think that will be one sign of a successful move.”

Realistically, the last several years have been good for Mason Trafford. The next several weeks during the January transfer window and the MLS offseason will be vital towards determining what comes next for him. Trafford is currently in a confident frame of mind that has been buoyed by his recent success and he is excited that positive things are right around the corner for him.