VANCOUVER, BC – 555 days.

That’s how long it had been since Christian Dean appeared in a Major League Soccer regular season match prior to Sunday’s season opener vs. Philadelphia Union .

And it probably felt even longer.

Dean was pushing for a starting spot heading into the 2016 season before suffering a left foot fracture the week before Vancouver’s first match. As he was nearing a return three months later, he tore his meniscus in training, which effectively ended his hopes of playing in 2016.

To get a sense of what Dean was going through at the time, do yourself a favour and read this first-person article he wrote on whitecapsfc.com last year. As he wrote, it was the "worst thing that ever happened" to him.

Until later that summer, of course, when Dean’s father suddenly passed away.

It’s the type of year you wouldn’t wish upon anyone. The type of year that can be hard to come back from. But Dean came back on Sunday. And he did so in impressive fashion, recording a game-high eight clearances and five interceptions while helping the ‘Caps keep a clean sheet.

“Before the game, I had butterflies for sure,” Dean told reporters following the match. “But I mean, that’s a good thing. My dad always said, 'If you don’t feel it, you don’t care.'”

It certainly looked like he cared on Sunday.

The 23-year-old barely put a foot wrong alongside his good friend and fellow MLS SuperDraft selection Tim Parker, drawing praise from Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson for an “absolutely excellent” performance.

For his part, Dean thought he had a “decent game,” giving himself a 7.5 or 8 when asked to rate his performance out of 10. He said he still wants to clean some things up, such as not letting the ball bounce when it’s front of him. At any rate, he has given Robinson something to think about.

“I came into the season aiming for Kendall’s job,” Dean said when asked if he had Sunday’s match circled in his calendar with Kendall Waston suspended. “That’s what you have to do, right? Everybody wants to play. Cole’s been playing really well too. You never really know who’s going to play. But I really, really enjoyed playing the first game in front of our fans especially in the opener.”

Dean thanked his teammates, coaches, and especially his mother following Sunday’s match for their support in helping him get out of some “dark places” over the last year and a half. It’s been a long road to recovery – both physically and mentally.

And an even longer journey from college.

The Alvin, Texas native, who now calls East Palo Alto, California home, was drafted third overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft. He showed some promise during his first few years, but Sunday was just his 10th appearance and fifth start in MLS.

“He’s been very patient … but he’s got talent we know that,” Robinson told reporters . “He looked very mature, very polished, and he got stronger as the game went on. I thought he and Tim Parker were excellent together so he should be proud of himself today.”

His father would be proud, too.