"I'm really excited," Ryan Raposo said after being drafted by Vancouver Whitecaps FC with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft. "Vancouver is the place I wanted to end up and I got my wish. I'm happy to be staying here in Canada and help to grow the game here; not only in Hamilton, not only in Ontario, but now all over the nation."
Ryan Raposo with Syracuse University
"It was signing a pro contract or nothing," said the 20-year old midfielder. "At a young age, a lot of other kids I saw – some had that passion but not as much as me. I've always been the most competitive person. So whether it's playing cards or [football] or anything, I'll try and beat you at that."
"And as you get older – 16, 17 – even the better players, they have other priorities they start getting a girlfriend, you get your (driving) licence, this-that. You start going out. And with me, my priorities have stayed the same ever since I can remember; I've always wanted to be a pro footballer. That's never once changed for me."
"He was terrific for us in both years, scored some big goals in big games for us," said Ian McIntyre (with one 'i', unlike the sports columnist), head coach of Syracuse University's men's team.
"What I love about him is his mentality. He's a winner. He's always looking to make something happen and he has that kind of drive and aggression that will translate well to the professional level as well," added McIntyre.
"Ryan is a crafty player," said Whitecaps manager Marc Dos Santos. "An attacking player who can play behind the forward, on the right or the left, good in one-v-one situations."
"The tools he has offensively and what he can bring in the last third (of the field) are very interesting," he added.