Ryan Gauld says he will take being named captain of Vancouver Whitecaps “in my stride” after signing a contract extension.
The 28-year-old – who has been player of the season for the Canadian side for the past two seasons – has also conceded he may never play club football again in Scotland as the style “doesn’t really suit me”.
The former Dundee United playmaker opened up on his flourishing career in North America in BBC Scotland’s Scottish Football Podcast.
Gauld last played in Scotland with Hibernian in 2019, on loan from Lisbon side Sporting.
“I think what that little Hibs experience told me was that Scottish football doesn’t really suit me,” he said. “I struggled to get involved, struggled to make an impact there.
“You never know what’s going to happen in the future, and what your options might be. I don’t think Scottish football would get the best out of me and I don’t think I would add too much to it either.
“So that’s not something that I foresee but you can never say never and we’ll see where we are at in four years’ time.”
Gauld has signed a new deal with Vancouver that will keep him at the Major League Soccer club until 2027.
He says his focus is on leading the team to new heights after registering 12 goals and 17 assists in 42 games.
“It feels really good, coming off my best season statistically to be rewarded with the new contract and the captaincy as well,” he said.
“I’ve never been a big speaker off the pitch but I like to think that, on the pitch, I try to lead by example, trying to lift everyone around me.
“Obviously, I’m aware that now being named captain there does come extra responsibility off the pitch. So that’s something I’ll have to take in my stride and get used to.”
‘It’s going to be good to face Messi’
The arrival of Lionel Messi at Inter Miami, along with fellow former Barcelona stars Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, has raised the profile of MLS this season.
The Whitecaps welcome Messi and co to Vancouver in late May, something Gauld is relishing.
“They obviously get a lot more attention but that allows us to work in the background and do our bit without too much attention on us,” he said.
“It’s going to be really good to play against them this year. I think you can only really say positive stuff about the fact he [Messi] came to MLS and helped to raise the standard of the league.”
Dubbed ‘Mini Messi’ himself once upon a time, Gauld has come a long way since bursting on to the scene at United along with Andy Robertson and John Souttar.
However, involvement with the Scotland national team has remained elusive. He was last called up by Gordon Strachan for Euro 2016 qualifying matches with Poland and Georgia and is yet to win a cap.
Representing Canada could be a possibility for Gauld in the future if he chose to go down the citizenship route but, for now, he is focused on the season ahead.
“I’m excited to know that I’m going to be in one place for the next four years,” he said.
“Since leaving United [for Sporting in a £3m deal] I’ve kind of been jumping around year after year after year not knowing where I’m going to be living.
“So I’m happy just to have the continuity ahead of me of being in Vancouver and being in familiar surroundings.
“That’s what I’m focusing on for the next few years and then you never know what’s happening in the future.”
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