|
Posted by
,
August 5, 2016 |
|
Twitter
@HarJournalist
|
|
Read this on your iPhone/iPad or Android device
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
VANCOUVER, B.C - The Vancouver Whitecaps newest summer transfer addition spoke to the media via conference call this week and expressed his extreme excitement in joining the Whitecaps organization.
The Caps acquired striker Giles Barnes from the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, July 30 for general allocation money and first refusal to Keyner Brown. If you were wondering if Barnes will be headed out the door to a Liga MX club in the near of future, you can rest assure, he's happy to be with Vancouver.
"I'm here for as long as Vancouver want me," said," Barnes "For me, it's just such excitement. I've come from a team that was at the bottom. As a competitor, and an athlete, I want to be competing for things, and that's exactly what I've come to in Vancouver. It's a young side, with a great manager and great fan-base. I'm really excited to be here. At the end of the year, I want to be lifting a trophy."
In his 113 MLS regular season matches with Houston, Barnes scored 31 goals and picked up 14 assists. He was named 2014 Dynamo MVP. His club playing career has seen him compete in the Premier League, Sky-Bet Championship, FA Cup, League Cup, and CONCACAF Champions League.
During this current campaign, Barnes has found the net on four occasions in 14 appearances. Barnes has a career knack for scoring goals at home, 26/31 goals have come at BBVA Compass Stadium. He's hoping to bring his home success rate to BC Place and show fans just what they can expect to see on the pitch.
"Hopefully, a lot of goals," said Barnes. "I wear my heart on my sleeve when I play, so hopefully I'm going to bring some excitement to the fans, something for everyone to look to when the games are a little bit tough."
Barnes will be celebrating his 28th birthday today as Vancouver prepares to play the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. Fans can expect to see Barnes make his Whitecaps debut, but where he will line up and in what particular formation, remains a question mark and Barnes wasn't about to drop any hints.
"My preferred position is to be central, as a no.9 or a 10," revealed Barnes. "Over the last year, I've played wide in a kind of 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1, whatever you want to call it. Me and Carl have spoken about certain things and what he expects of me, and I'm sure you'll find out in the next few weeks what position I fit into with the team."
The Barking, London, England native was a bit of a surprise pick-up for the Whitecaps as Vancouver scrambled to make an addition after Fabian Espindola's quick exit from the club. Barnes had an inkling that he could be on the way out of Houston, but he thought he might be making a reverse Brexit to join former Dynamo Manager, Owen Coyle at Blackburn Rovers F.C. in the Championship.
"I'd obviously heard whispers about me going over to Blackburn, I kind of knew that I was on the way out either way,” admitted Barnes. "There was interest in Blackburn. As far as I know the deal was really close to getting done and for some reason it didn't happen."
Giles Barnes is a proven goal-scorer in Major League Soccer and his four and a half seasons with Houston have shown that he's come over from England and adapted to MLS. Vancouver needs a goal-poacher and someone to take pressure of Pedro Morales, Christian Bolanos, Nicolas Mezquida, Masato Kudo, and Blas Perez. If Barnes can come in and contribute this will be a fantastic transfer window steal for Vancouver.
Notes: Giles Barnes has scored three goals in 18 appearances at the international level with Jamaica.
|