Pacific FC captain Josh Heard announced on Wednesday that he will retire from professional soccer after this Sunday's final game in the Canadian Premier League regular season.
The 31-year-old winger, born in Wales but raised on Vancouver Island, has been with the Tridents for the past seven years, captaining the club since 2023.
Heard is Pacific's all-time appearances leader, with 162 games played across CPL, Concacaf League and Canadian Championship action.
He helped steer Pacific to the club's first championship in 2021, when they beat Forge FC 1-0 in the CPL Final at Hamilton Stadium to lift the North Star Shield.
That same year, Heard was also instrumental to Pacific's memorable triumph over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Canadian Championship, contributing a goal and an assist as the Tridents beat their B.C. neighbours 4-3 at Starlight Stadium.
The following season, Heard and the Tridents represented the CPL on the international stage in the Concacaf League. They eliminated Jamaican side Waterhouse FC in the first round — with Heard scoring two goals and adding two assists in a 6-0 second-leg win — before bowing out in a penalty shootout to Costa Rican opponent Herediano.
In total, Heard has amassed 23 goals and 10 assists for Pacific. Always known as a gritty, physical player, Heard sits second on the CPL's all-time leaderboard for yellow cards with 35 — a stat he claims proudly.
“Football has been the centre of my life for 15 years, and I’m walking away with an immense amount of gratitude, most of all for the teammates, coaches, staff and supporters who made it so special,” Heard said in a statement.
“I gave everything I had every time I laced up my boots, and I had an absolute blast doing it.”
Pacific have announced plans to honour Heard this Sunday at their final match of the 2026 season. They take on Forge FC at Victoria's Royal Athletic Park (4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT).
“Josh played every minute like it was his last, and that’s why the fans love him,” said Jamar Dixon, Pacific's Director of Football. “He’s a local kid who grew up playing on these fields, and he never forgot what it means to represent this Island. Pacific is better because Josh Heard was part of it, and I can’t wait to be at RAP on Sunday to celebrate him.”
