VANCOUVER Whitecaps FC on Friday announced the winners of the club’s 2024 Player Awards on Friday, with captain Ryan Gauld receiving the Player of the Year award for a third consecutive season.

Jeevan Badwal was chosen the WFC2 Player of the Year.

His citation reads:

After graduating through the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy, Jeevan Badwal made big strides in 2024.

The 18-year-old signed his first professional contract heading into his second season with Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) in MLS NEXT Pro, helping the team secure their first playoff birth. The product of Surrey, BC scored his first two professional goals during the season for WFC2, adding one assist and 11 key passes. Among players with five or more appearances, Badwal led the team with an 87.9 passing percentage.

In July, the midfielder made his Whitecaps FC first team debut, coming on as a second half substitute in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal at Pacific FC. Two months later, he signed an MLS contract as a homegrown player.

At the international level, Badwal started seven of eight matches for Canada during qualifying and tournament play at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

Badwal was selected for the award by WFC2 coaching staff.

BADWAL first joined the Whitecaps FC BMO Academy as a 13-year-old in 2019, and became the 12th Canadian teenager to be signed to a professional contract since WFC2 began play in MLS NEXT Pro in 2022. In his youth, Badwal played at Coastal FC, Surrey FC, Supra Academy, and B.E.S.T. Academy.

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