St. John's soccer star says playing at home again will be emotional — and exhilarating

St. John's professional soccer player Owen Sheppard is playing on home turf again after three years away, and he says playing in front of thousands of people — including friends, family and former coaches — will be an exciting experience.

"It feels amazing to kind of show everybody that supported me and helped me through my journey that the hard work did pay off in the end," Sheppard, 22, told CBC News this week.

"My mom and dad get really emotional when they watch me play," he added. "I know that they're very happy, and might be some waterworks when the game's done because they'll be so proud, but it'll be a good experience."

Sheppard has been playing with the Halifax Wanderers since April, a team in the Canadian Premier League, the country's top soccer league.

The Wanderers will be playing the Ipswich Town U21 team at the King George V Park in St. John's Sunday at 1 p.m. as part of the International Summer Series event.

The series sees the Wanderers compete against professional teams from abroad in what Sheppard calls a series of "friendly games" across Atlantic Canada.

Sheppard was born in St. John's and moved to Alberta as a toddler before making his way back as a teenager to Newfoundland, where he lived in the small town of Grand Le Pierre on the island's south coast.

After high school, he decided to play soccer at Cape Breton University, and in December, he was selected first overall by Winnipeg's Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League's U-Sports draft. He attended Winnipeg's training camp before joining Halifax in late April. 

WATCH | Owen Sheppard says playing in St. John's again is an honour:

This St. John’s soccer star is playing on home turf after years away

6 months ago

Duration 2:31

Owen Sheppard of the Halifax Wanderers professional soccer team is playing his first game back home in Newfoundland and Labrador after about three years away. The CBC’s Jessica Singer spoke with him about playing in the city where he was born — and he taught her some of his favourite skills.

Sheppard, who started playing soccer when he was eight years old, says he wants kids to know they don't have to be from a big city to make it big in sports.

"You just gotta stick with it," he said. "As long as you kind of just trust yourself and trust the process, then anything can happen."

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