MONTREAL — Theo Bair says he’s finally living a dream after an up-and-down road to one of Europe’s top leagues.
Once a top prospect in the Vancouver Whitecaps academy, the 25-year-old from Ottawa parlayed a breakout season in the Scottish Premiership into a significant summer move to AJ Auxerre in Ligue 1 — France’s top flight.
Bair scored his first league goal last Saturday in a 3-1 loss to AS Saint-Etienne when her made a well-timed run into the box and connected on a cross for a slick finish.
“Playing in a top-five league is what everyone wants to do, and it took a lot to get there. I got a lot of 'no's' and a lot of 'not good enough,'” Bair said Thursday at CF Montreal’s training grounds, where the Canadian men’s national team held a camp all week.
“To finally do it is really exciting, but I think it's just the first step of the journey.”
Bair scored three goals in 37 Major League Soccer games with the Whitecaps’ senior team from 2019-2021 before being loaned to Norway’s Hamarkameratene. He then took a permanent move to Scotland with St. Johnstone, but only scored one goal in 38 games, leading to a contract termination.
Scottish Premiership rival Motherwell gave Bair a second chance last season — and he capitalized on the opportunity with 15 goals in 38 games to rank sixth in league scoring.
The return to form helped him earn MVP honours at Motherwell and a first Canadian national team call-up in four years.
Bair started in Auxerre's first three games, but has come off the bench in the last three matches. The club is currently 14th in the league table (2-0-5).
But after getting on the scoresheet before the October international window, the six-foot-three centre forward believes he’s starting to find a rhythm in France.
“I like to think that I adjust to where I go, and I learn quite quickly,” he said. “A lot of French football is a bit of like — a bit of tactics, but also a lot of run of the play. So I think that it plays well to my physical attributes. I can move in the box, or I can run in behind.”
Bair, who has three caps and one goal for Canada, is part of an influx of Canadian internationals in Ligue 1. Centre back Moïse Bombito earned a move to OGC Nice, while midfielder Ismael Kone and centre back Derek Cornelius transferred to Marseille following Canada’s run to a fourth-place finish at Copa America.
Striker Jonathan David of Lille OSC is currently second in league scoring with five goals and has been one of Ligue 1’s top marksmen the past three seasons.
“(French) is either their primary language, their mother tongue, or their secondary language, and so then the idea that they can adapt quickly to the language and culture makes sense,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said during a video conference last week. “It’s not just that they’ve gone to the French league or made good transfers, but that they’re getting playing time, right?”
Bair said Ligue 1 offers young players opportunities and can serve as a stepping-stone to even bigger clubs.
“A lot of guys end up in the Premier League and places like that, not to take anything away from Ligue 1,” he said. “I also think the overall quality of the league, all of the stars kind of left at the same time, so the league is kind of flattening out, and everyone can kind of maybe make themselves a star."
Although more and more Canadian internationals are landing transfers in Europe, Bair doesn’t believe Marsch’s expectations of players have changed. Bair’s demands of himself, however, have.
"I have to bring quality every time that I come here, and I have to make sure that I do everything I can to get onto the pitch, because I'm playing in a good place,” said Bair, who hasn’t yet started for the national team. “And I do think that I can bring something to this national team."
As he tries to earn more minutes with Canada, Bair said he’s trying to learn from David — who he grew up trading hat tricks against in the Ottawa youth ranks — and veteran striker Cyle Larin at camp
“I ask Johnny questions about Ligue 1, and how he feels, and what kind of defenders he hates going against,” Bair said. “I want to see if he's feeling the same thing I am, and he's very insightful. … Cyle will give me little tips and tricks for using my body."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 11, 2024.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
