The Halifax Wanderers Football Club is pleased to confirm that Goalkeeper Kieran Baskett has agreed to a new contract with the club for the 2022 season that includes a club option for 2023.
Baskett, a 20-year-old native of Halifax, made his first-team debut for the Wanderers in a 2-1 win against AS Blainville in the Canadian Championship in August 2021 before establishing an excellent competition for the starting goalkeeper spot with Christian Oxner throughout the remainder of the season.
In 12 starts, Baskett kept four clean sheets and achieved four wins including a memorable penalty save to deny Cavalry a late win in Calgary and protect a point in the Wanderers’ push for the playoffs.
“In his first professional season, Kieran showed he has all the attributes to go on and become a top class goalkeeper,” said Sporting Director Matt Fegan. “He has benefited from quality local coaching growing up and now working under our Keeper Coach Jan-Michael Williams, Kieran has gone from strength-to-strength. We’re pleased he will continue his development here for years to come.”
To further his professional development, the club has secured off-season training for Kieran with English Football League Championship club Coventry City in the New Year.
“We’re only too happy to help mature Kieran’s understanding of the game by exposing him to a new environment,” explained Head Coach Stephen Hart. “He has taken his chances with both hands this season and now has an opportunity to test himself at an English Championship club. He will go away for a while, learn new approaches and be pushed to take his game to the next level. That can only benefit Kieran and ultimately our club.”
Baskett is both thrilled to confirm his extension and excited to see what opportunities the time in England will present.
“It’s an absolute honour to get extended and I’m looking forward to the upcoming season and hopefully more. It means the world to me and it’s so perfect that it’s in my own backyard,” explains Baskett. “Going to England to play soccer has always been my dream but I just want to learn as much as I can while I’m there and get the most out of the experience. I’ve always envisioned myself doing something like this but I didn’t see it coming so fast. The Wanderers in the last year have really helped me improve as a person and as a soccer player so I’m just blessed to be back another year.”
The Wanderers are continuously looking to build partnerships with clubs around the world, as one of the key benefits is providing pathways for local players to obtain knowledge and experience in the game.
“The training opportunity with Coventry City is an example of Wanderers’ commitment to furthering the careers of players to develop their skills in different ways” explained Fegan, adding, “the Canadian Premier League has already proven it is a quality platform for young Canadian talent to showcase their skills. Kieran is only 20 years old and keepers tend to hit their best form in their late twenties so he has plenty of years ahead of him.”