From Blackburn to Cape Breton: Evan Cunningham's Journey to Rediscovering His Love for Soccer as a CAPER
By IAIN KING
EVAN CUNNINGHAM tugged on the Scotland number 9 jersey, his heart was bursting with pride, he knew his parents would have tears in their eyes. He had realised a dream, one his mom and dad from Glasgow never dared to believe could come true for their soccer-crazy son.
Evan was born in England, his accent is undeniably from Lancashire, but the blood coursing through his veins that day as he made his Under-17s debut was of only one nationality. Scotland, the old country. Now, after a journey that took him to the very brink of a professional contract with former English Premiership champions Blackburn Rovers, he is our newest CAPER. Ready for an exciting adventure, from old Scotland to Nova Scotia.
Evan was in the Blackburn Academy when his parents' homeland came calling.
"I was 16, I was developing well, and I was on the radar with Scotland because of my bloodline," he reveals. "I got called up to the Under-17s and played in a tournament in Portugal when we drew 1-1 with Hungary and beat Sweden 2-1. Those were special moments for my family and as a player it was an amazing experience. Life was great, I got a two-year scholarship contract and then COVID hit which affected me both with club and country."
Evan was a starry-eyed 10-year-old kid when he started his quest for the top and he first of all shone at centre-half. Blackburn scouts began to be regulars at his games, but they saw something different in him and when he did earn his try-out spell at Rovers it was as a striker. The story of those two years in the Rovers Academy is one of peaks and troughs, of goals and gut-wrenching disappointment -playing for Scotland then spending too much time on the treatment table.
"I picked up three ankle injuries in my first year as a scholar and in Year Two I was flying and then I pulled my groin," sighs Evan. "You are playing catch-up when that happens, by the time I was back to my peak it was Decision Day. They sat me down and said they hadn't seen enough to warrant giving me a professional contract which was heart-breaking. You see your mates coming out with a big grin on their face and you know they are staying, it's awful. I was crushed when they told me, Blackburn had been my life."
The two years since he was edged out of an Ewood Park contract have been soul-searching for the former Scotland Under-17 prospect. He had to try to find another club. For young players in England this quest is similar to an aspiring actor in Hollywood going through countless auditions looking to win that big breakthrough part. You have to become accustomed to rejection and learn how to deal with it.
Hull City. One game to prove himself then their keeper punched the opposition's striker to get himself sent off. Evan was in a 10-man team struggling to survive, they liked him, but it was a bust.
Sunderland. Evan impressed and knew inside he'd played really well. Half of the signing committee wanted him and the other half wanted to see more. The deal stalled and the phone never rang again.
Derby County. Impressed by his displays against them for Sunderland they gave him the final two Academy games of the season.
"The fixtures? Manchester United and then Manchester City away," he smiles ruefully. "We lost 3-0 to United and 6-1 to City and in that second game I got subbed after an hour because they could see it was torture for a striker."
That didn't work out and his next stop was Accrington Stanley in League Two. He was training with the first team, and it was going well but the trial process was brutal. "There were so many of us fighting for a slot that we only got 20 minutes each. It was another 'No' and at that point you wonder what is next for you."
The answer was English non-league soccer with the likes of Atherton Collieries and Earlham who operate in the rungs under the professional ranks. It was a different world from the Blackburn Rovers Academy and playing for Scotland, Evan, who will now study Sport, Physical Activity and Leadership when he arrives at CBU, learned some tough lessons both in sport and life. When a new season began, and Collieries had deserted the route of playing promising young players he was at a crossroads.
"I sat down with my mom and dad and said: 'I don't think football is for me anymore.' I talked about taking a break or quitting," he confesses. "I had stopped enjoying it, I didn't want to watch games or play. I used to hear about people falling out of love with the game and think it would never be me. Then it happened to me, it was devastating."
CAPERS Head Coach Deano Morley unearthed Evan's game film on a recruitment trip to England this spring and knew deep down he could make the striker fall in love with the game again. All it would take was a chance to sit down together, to talk about what coming to Canada's most beautiful island could mean for him on and off the field.
"From the first moment I saw footage of Evan I wanted him to become a CAPER," reveals Deano. "More than anything it was what he was doing OFF the ball that captured my attention. Evan's ability to press intelligently from the front, his work ethic and desire to fight to win the ball back for his team shone for me."
Deano feels he'll be exciting number 9. He has professional level quality in and around the box, finishes with both feet, and has that natural sense of timing to arrive late and hurt the opponent.
"I love his movement, creativity, the way he links up play and more than anything his desire to score goals - what a brilliant addition to football in Atlantic Canada. Off the field Evan is mature and focused, he will represent us with pride and professionalism on the field, in the community and in the classroom. We can't wait to welcome him to our family, and I am excited to watch him play."
Former club Blackburn, who finished 19th in the English Championship last season, still value Evan highly. Since mid-June he has had the chance to work with the Academy team in preparation for his Canadian adventure. Putting in the gruelling miles in his old club's pre-season fitness regime then honing his skills on the field, he is grimly determined to hit the ground running in Varsity soccer.
"Deano and the CAPERS came into my life at the perfect time and they have put the fire back in my belly. Everything has flipped on its head again," Evan enthuses. "The Gaffer has given me back my positivity. The second I knew there was a chance I would be coming to CAPERS I watched two full games from the National Championship to give myself a clue of the standard I will face."
"The key here is that Deano knows what he is doing and that shines through when you talk football with him. I could tell he would be strict as a coach but that he would care about me too and I could see why the team were Canadian champions. That sealed it."