The Vancouver Whitecaps’ biggest acquisition of the season was introduced to his new teammates on Tuesday morning, before meeting the press following the team’s training session.
Wearing kit number 26, Stuart Armstrong was put through a light session, along with Sam Adekugbe and fellow summer addition wing-back Edier Ocampo. The trio chatted and jogged on their own as they worked to get their match fitness up to full strength.
The 32-year-old Armstrong has always wanted to play overseas during his career. With 508 combined appearances with Dundee United, Celtic, and Southampton, the timing was right to make the move across the pond and begin a new chapter in MLS with the Whitecaps.
Signed, sealed, and ready to deliver! ✍️
Our new number 2️⃣6️⃣ #VWFC | #FIFTYTGTHR pic.twitter.com/tErAxm7mfV
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 3, 2024
Whitecaps CEO and Sporting Director Axel Schuster made Armstrong feel wanted from the very first conversation. That first impression made a big impact on the Scottish international.
When did Armstrong and his wife decide that he would sign with the Whitecaps?
“I think two or three weeks after was when I actually made the decision,” Armstrong told Daily Hive following his introductory press conference in Vancouver. “They made it clear to me that the team really wanted to bring me here. To be wanted is a really nice feeling. To go to MLS is a huge change so that’s why there was a lot discussed with different people. The decision needed to come down to me and my family and we decided that Vancouver was the right place to be.”
Being in the right place at the right time can go a long way when you’re pursuing a player and trying to get a contract agreement across the line. Schuster just happened to be in the South of France while Armstrong and his wife were vacationing last month.
Schuster bonded with Armstrong and his family over a posh meal.
“We actually met not in Scotland but we met in France,” Schuster revealed. “I crashed his family vacation. We had a good evening in an Italian restaurant in France. I knew from the beginning that we had to give him the feeling that our door is wide open. We wanted to show him that we are up to solving every problem he maybe had with this move. I want to say thank you to his wife, because they have a three-month-old. I had the feeling that we also had to convince her with this move. I want to say thank you to her for letting this happen.”
New city, new chapter ✍#VWFC | #FIFTYTGTHR pic.twitter.com/FDIGtzvayI
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 3, 2024
Whitecaps fans hoping to see Armstrong on the pitch will have to wait a little while until his fitness ramps up to full speed, as Armstrong believes he is two weeks away from being match-fit.
The Inverness native is hoping to accelerate that process so he can contribute sooner rather than later, especially as the Whitecaps enter the final two months of the MLS campaign.
“Match fitness with the training and the games is hard to replicate,” Armstrong admitted. “There’s no easy way around it other than playing games and training. With the season coming to an end and the playoffs, that needs to be accelerated slightly. If I can join the team and play minutes where possible and do additional running or drills, I think that accumulation of fitness will put me in a good spot, hopefully.”
When he is on the pitch, Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini will likely use Armstrong as a number 8 in the role of a central midfielder. When Vancouver goes on the counter, Armstrong could potentially play in a number-10 position as an attacking midfielder linking up with Ryan Gauld.
The two Scotsmen will feature on the same pitch for the first time in over a decade when they played at Dundee United, where Gauld was a teenager getting his start in football.
Ryan Gauld & Stuart Armstrong
Stuart Armstrong has joined up with Ryan Gauld in Vancouver just in time for the Playoffs Run-In pic.twitter.com/MDMVFdFtYw
— ScotsAbroadPod (@ScotsAbroadPod) September 3, 2024
Armstrong remembers seeing a player who was short on words but had immense talent.
“When he first came into Dundee United, he was so young,” Armstrong said. “I was a little bit older than him. There was a group of really young guys he was with. I remember him being quite quiet, obviously on the pitch he was unbelievable. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with him. I’m sure he’s a little bit louder these days.”
Before making the move to MLS, Armstrong talked to several footballers who have played in the league. The idea that MLS is a retirement league is a view that’s not widely held.
“I think the perception is slowly changing away from that,” Armstrong said. “I’m looking forward to experiencing [the MLS] myself and get a true understanding of the league. Every player that I’ve spoken to that has played over here speaks very highly of it, that it’s quite demanding physically.”
The numbers are in! 📊
Stuart Armstrong is a goal-scoring machine, chance creator, and a true winner on the pitch.
Check out the stats of our new Scottish midfielder ⤵️ #VWFC | #TogetherWeDare pic.twitter.com/J6df1Gtq1g
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) September 3, 2024
The Whitecaps’ fourth all-time designated player from Scotland will soon be joined on the West Coast by his wife, three-month-old daughter, and Labrador dog, Noah.
Armstrong is signed as a designated player through the 2026 MLS regular season and will earn a salary north of $1.7 million.
The 12-8-5 Whitecaps will return to the pitch for their first MLS home match since July 20, when they take on FC Dallas on Saturday, September 7 at BC Place.
In other news, Whitecaps striker Brian White remains in concussion protocol and did not train on Tuesday.
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