Thomas Vancaeyezeele got his start in the world of soccer in his hometown of Caen, France. His mother was a huge fan of the sport, which inspired him to begin playing at a young age.
Vancaeyezeele said he remembers his mom going to the stadium near them often and standing with all of the fans in the bleachers.
“I would see her coming back on Saturday nights with no voice because she sung all the chants and stuff,” Vancaeyezeele said.
Sometimes he would go with his mom or his dad to watch soccer games, which made him fall in love with the sport.
Eventually, this transitioned into his parents traveling four or five hours to watch his own games, once he began playing regularly.
“They would come and support,” Vancaeyezeele said. “They would watch my games and try to give me some advice.”
Vancaeyezeele knew since he was young he wanted to go pro and decided to try out for his first professional team, fourth-tier club Stade Malherbe Caen II, in France.
The tryout went well, but Vancaeyezeele said it was difficult at first being a part of the team because the skill level was so high.
“It was really professional,” Vancaeyezeele said. “I learned from really really good coaches and played with good players.”
Vancaeyezeele said training was intense and that he would sometimes train early in the morning before school and after as well.
After a few years of playing in France, Vancaeyezeele made his way to America and played at the University of Charleston in West Virginia.
This will be Vancaeyezeele’s third season with the Riverhounds and while in quarantine he has been keeping himself busy in Pittsburgh.
Vancaeyezeele said he has been playing PlayStation and talking to friends, using this time as a way to make sure those around him are okay.
His family is still in France and he said they cannot leave their residences, but has kept in contact with them almost daily.
Vancaeyezeele has also been training over Zoom with the rest of his teammates, as well as doing things on his own like running to stay healthy and fit.
“I can’t wait to start the new season because last year we fell a bit short,” Vancaeyezeele said. “I really work hard to be ready and help the team to get into playoffs again.”
