Murrell, Thomas easy choices for Valour co-captains

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This article was published 29/04/2019 (2656 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

They were leaders at Syracuse University together, and now, Canadian defenders Jordan Murrell and Skylar Thomas will be tasked with leading Valour FC as they head into the inaugural Canadian Premier League season.

Last week, Valour FC announced Murrell as captain and Thomas as co-captain, making them the first players to wear the armband for the club in franchise history.

Head coach and general manager Rob Gale spoke to his players and asked for suggestions and the same two names kept coming up — Murrell and Thomas.

“They’re staying here, year-round. So, it’s not going to be play your season in Winnipeg and go wherever you go and be a snowbird. These guys are in it,” Gale said about his captains before Monday’s practice.

“They’re in it for the club, the brand, the identity. They’re already looking for coaching opportunities in the off-season. So you know they’re invested.

“When you’ve got investment from people and you’re investing in people, then you’ve got a great chance to build something bigger than yourselves and leave the legacy. They’re the two perfect examples of that.”

Both 25 years old, Murrell and Thomas played NCAA Division I soccer for the Syracuse Orange from 2011-14.

Coincidentally, they found themselves teammates again as they agreed to multi-year contracts with Valour FC after spending the past couple of seasons playing in the United Soccer League on separate teams.

“It’s kinda crazy,” Murrell, who hails from Markham, Ont., said about being named a captain with his old friend.

“We’ve kept in close touch since college. He’s one of my good friends. It’s not a surprise to me that he’s a captain because he’s a standout guy. He’s a leader on the pitch and off the pitch. He’s a great character and that’s why we’re such close friends. It’s an honour to be beside him as a captain of the team.”

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Murrell and Thomas, who’s from Scarborough, Ont., also believe they bring different things to the table as captains.

They also say the team has many leaders besides them.

“We have leaders all over the field. That’s what’s amazing about our team is that there’s leaders throughout the team,” Murrell said.

“If one guy’s not there, we can pick him up and it doesn’t have to be me. It doesn’t have to be Sky.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @TaylorAllen31

Taylor Allen
Reporter

Taylor Allen is a sports reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. Taylor was the Vince Leah intern in the Free Press newsroom twice while earning his joint communications degree/diploma at the University of Winnipeg and Red River College Polytechnic. He signed on full-time in 2019 and mainly covers the Blue Bombers, curling, and basketball. Read more about Taylor.

Every piece of reporting Taylor produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.