Posted by

Harjeet Johal ,

January 28, 2014 Twitter

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The Vancouver Whitecaps selected 20 year-old defender Christian Dean with the 3rd overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. The East Palo Alto, California native joins a crowded and competitive group of centre-backs in the organization. As he prepares to show his teammates, and coaches what he can bring to the table, he will also be getting acclimated to life in Major League Soccer during his first professional training camp. Carl Robinson may decide to bring Dean along slower than other 2014 1st round MLS SuperDraft picks because the Whitecaps are stacked at the centre-back position with Jay DeMerit, Andy O'Brien, Johnny Leveron, and Carlyle Mitchell. This strategy could be turned upside down if Vancouver is once again decimated with injuries at that position. DeMerit, and O'Brien are both 34 years-old so the inevitable niggle is likely to hamper them over the course of a long season. A mountain of injuries could pave the way for Dean to become a vital player for the Whitecaps in 2014. At 6'3 and 200 pounds, Christian Dean has the chance to grow into a towering, imposing physical player on the pitch. It will be imperative that coach Carl Robinson helps Dean access his raw skills, talent and ability, to best ensure he prospers as a prospect. Dean had time for an interview after the opening day of preseason training. What were your thoughts when you were drafted by the Vancouver Whitecaps? Christian Dean (CD): It was exciting, probably one of the best days of my life. I'm happy to be on the west coast in an area where soccer is on the rise. What did you know about the Whitecaps organization before being drafted by them?

CD: Honestly not that much. I played with Omar (Salgado) with the U-20 team so I pretty much knew just what he's told me. We've got a rivalry with Seattle and Portland. Besides centre-back are you comfortable playing any other positions? CD: I can play outside back and I've been thrown in at defensive midfield before. Centre-back and left-back are pretty much my two main positions. What type of player is Christian Dean? CD: I'm hard-working and there for my teammates. Hopefully we can win some games. As a defender do you like to get forward or stay back? CD: I do like to get forward and I had the freedom at Cal (University of California Berkeley) to go forward but I feel like here, I'll try to find out how the other centre-backs play and try to follow their role if that's going forward or staying back. Are you a physical defender in the air? CD: Yeah, for my size it's an advantage for me to go up for headers and everything so I'm going to use that. Have you received any advice from your Whitecaps teammates? CD: I haven't been talking to them during the training session. They're kind of getting me acquainted with how they play with everything but other than that they're just trying to welcome me in. Are you in awe that you're on the same field with Kenny Miller, Nigel Reo Coker, and Jay DeMerit? CD: They're great players and I grew up watching them. They're amazing players, but they are my teammates now so I have to think of them more as that. What do you think about the city of Vancouver? CD: I love it. I went out and walked around the city the other day. It's a lot like San Francisco, it fits me perfectly so I think I'm really going to enjoy it. Do you have a message for all the Vancouver Whitecaps supporters out there? CD: Thank You for welcoming me in with open arms and I'm hoping to show you what I can do. Notes: Christian Dean will be wearing kit number 22 this season.