Squamish sports legend Mike Sweeney is returning to his home province to be part of a celebration marking 40 years of Vancouver Whitecaps soccer.

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The local product was invited by the Major League Soccer (MLS) club to attend the official 40th anniversary of the team during the May 3 home game for Vancouver against the San Jose Earthquakes.

Sweeney, who spent his younger days on the soccer pitches of Squamish, had 22 appearances for the Whitecaps in 1983 and 1984. He was a key member of the 1983 team that posted a franchise-best record of 24 wins and six losses in the regular season in the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL).

Back in 2012, Sweeney was named as one of the best 11 Canadian soccer players of the past 50 years by Soccer Canada and he was also key member of the last Canadian team to qualify for the World Cup in 1986.

In addition to his pro experience with the Whitecaps, Sweeney starred for several years in both the NASL and the Major Indoor Soccer League throughout the 1980s. Sweeney now lives in Cleveland, Ohio, where he manages a number of soccer camps.

The 40th anniversary game is being presented in conjunction with the Whitecaps third annual Alumni Night, of which Sweeney is a member.

For more info, visit www.whitecapsfc.com/since1974.