הודעה לעיתונות

Today in Nuclei News we are one-on-one with Ethan Purdon, or as his teammates call him, Nine Toes. The 19 year old center forward is in his third season as a striker for OAP and has tallied 35 goals in 98 league matches thus far, playing the second most games thus far next to goaltender and captain Pemberton.

So first things first... why the nickname Nine Toes?

"That's actually a funny story. When I was a kid I had a run in with a bear trap. Coming from Churchill Manitoba you see your fair share of wildlife (and I ain't talking about the ladies). When I was playing some footy bare foot in a grassy clearing I stepped in an illegal polar bear trap and it severed half my right baby toe off. It hurt like hell, but it means I wear a smaller boot on my right foot and because of that I get a lot more power on my shots."

Churchill Manitoba you say? Not the biggest soccer market in the world. How'd you come to play soccer and how'd you come to find yourself on OAP?

"Well my parents were from Côte d'Ivoire. I know, you can't really tell by the last name. But when they immigrated here they asked what our last name was and my parents couldn't understand them so they said 'pardon' and we officially became the Purdon family. What I'm getting at is, soccer has always been in my family. Churchill is quite the shock moving from Africa. The lifestyle and weather for sure. But it was nice. I had been playing for a local minor club when I was 15 and was recruited by a team in a more southern (and more developed) part of Ontario. Then when I was 17 I saw that there was a new competitive league starting up so I went to one of the top clubs with a winning owner and was lucky enough to make the team. And here I am."

What do your parents do for a living?

"Hahahahaha. Well, my dad gets a nice cheque from his old soccer team every weak after his pro days were over. So he says we moved to Churchill so he could be an ice farmer. Truth is my mother got a french teaching position but we'll let him pretend he's an ice farmer. The guy is unbelievable. I'm lucky enough that OAP management fly my folks in for games every month. It's nice to see them."

Any siblings? Will we be seeing a younger better brother of you coming through the ranks?

"Nope. No brothers. Thankfully nobody to show me up. My sister is a stripper so nothing to worry about there. -Pauses for awkwardness- I'm kidding!!! She works for the Montreal Strippers. She's in their HR department. Canada is a very multicultural country and a french speaking one at that. It's a good fit for us."

Critics say you're not I.1 striker caliber yet you are consistently atop the premier league in goals. What do you say to this?

"I'm not the fastest player. I'm not the most aggressive player. I'm not the most offensively gifted player. But I have one hell of a heart and desire to win at all costs. I'm not perfect. But I give my soul to every game regardless of it's importance. I know the day will come where I will no longer dawn the jersey and will have to take up sand farming because my dad has an ice farm monopoly, so for the time being I'm going to do everything I can to keep OAP an elite club in the world... whatever my role."

Anything you care to tell OAP fans?

"Just to keep up the great support. Winning or losing they are always the best fans in the world and we go out on the pitch every night to reward them for all the joy they give to us."

In appreciation for Ethan's efforts, the #9 OAP jerseys will be discounted 19% (one for each finger and toe) for the remainder of March... good news for OAP fans.

---

---