Centre Back O’Brien Adds Experience to Whitecaps

They aren’t playing much these days, and the down time has given the Vancouver Whitecaps an opportunity to improve the front-line attack and their midfield. Now the Caps have upgraded their depth behind by signing centre back Andy O’Brien, formerly of Leeds United and Newcastle United.

The 33-year-old was born in England but has dual British-Irish citizenship, and has played for Ireland 26 times including the 2002 World Cup squad. O’Brien is 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, and brings a wealth of experience with 486 professional matches and 14 international caps in his 15-year career. Terms of the contract were not revealed but it’s thought to be a multi-year deal, and O’Brien has apparently not been given designated-player status.

O’Brien’s last season at Leeds was less than auspicious. Previous manager Simon Grayson said O’Brien refused to play in a match at Burnley and vowed the player would never be welcomed back to Elland Road. Not long after, O’Brien sought treatment for depression and the club brought him back in January. Grayson would later be fired and O’Brien would play for new manager Neil Warnock, but then the centre back was put on the transfer list. Leeds and O’Brien later terminated his contract by mutual agreement.

As with many back-liners, he doesn’t score that much — two goals in his last 38 appearances for Leeds — but he should be able to help add to Vancouver’s number of clean sheets, currently at nine on the season which is tied for tops in MLS. However, the club has allowed 28 goals in 23 games, which is the middle of the pack. The 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake exposed a lack of depth at centre back (Vancouver released New Zealander Michael Boxall last month after 19 appearances) which Rennie now feels has been addressed with the O’Brien signing.

“He’s a fantastic defender,” Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie said in an interview. “He’s aggressive, he’s strong, he’s good in the air. He’s one of those guys who studies the opposition. He knows what other players’ tendencies are and he brings that leadership to the other players. … There’s a lot there we can get from him.”

The immediate consensus is that Argentine international Martin Bonjour will be pushed for playing time with O’Brien’s arrival. Both could come in handy when the Whitecaps resume their schedule with the other end of its home-and-home series with Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Aug. 11, followed by another game four days later at B.C. Place against FC Dallas.

There will likely be one more signing in Vancouver’s near future as they’ll look to add another player in the central midfield.