Soccer phenom Keani Fairbanks received a special present on his 19th birthday when he was offered a four-year contract to play professionally for Algarve Football Club in Portugal.

Algarve is a new team that will play in the fourth division. It is owned by a Singapore business group seeking to make a name for itself in European football.

Fairbanks has the distinction of being the first player signed to the club.

The former Highland Secondary School student and East Mountain resident said he was “overjoyed” with the contract and the opportunity to play professionally. He had only one regret - because of the Easter holiday the contract was not ready a day earlier as planned.

“(He is) capable of both playing an attacking role and a defensive role in the middle of the field.”

“I had really wanted to sign my first pro contract while I was still 18,” he said. “But I guess as a birthday present this is the next best thing.”

Fairbanks began his soccer career as a five-year-old in Flamborough, played for five years in Dundas, two more in Flamborough then joined the elite Toronto Lynx program for two years.

Algarve Football Club president Marco Guimaraes said Fairbanks is a “box to box” midfielder.

“(He is) capable of both playing an attacking role and a defensive role in the middle of the field,” said Guimaraes. “This is the most difficult position to fill in a football team, few teams are strong here, so it was a great bonus for us to find such a good one so early in our recruiting process.”