Whitecaps transfer forward Simon Becher to Danish team AC Horsens

Vancouver Whitecaps' Simon Becher, back, kicks the ball as he vies for it against Los Angeles FC's Giorgio Chiellini during the second half of an MLS soccer match, in Vancouver, B.C., Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. The Whitecaps have transferred Becher to Danish side AC Horsens, the Major League Soccer club announced Wednesday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Vancouver — The Vancouver Whitecaps have transferred forward Simon Becher to Danish side AC Horsens, the Major League Soccer club announced Wednesday.

The Whitecaps will retain a percentage of future transfer fees as part of the move.

The 24-year-old Becher made six starts and 25 appearances across all competitions with Vancouver last season.

He scored two goals in his first start of the 2023 MLS season, a 5-0 rout of Montreal on April 1. With the brace he became the faster player in league history to score his first four MLS goals, needing just 87 minutes.

He finished the season with four goals and an assist across all appearances.

Becher was selected 16th overall by the Whitecaps in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He had eight goals with development side Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 that year, as well as a goal for the senior team during a brief call-up.

He joins an AC Horsens side that sits seventh in Denmark's 12-team first division, the second tier of soccer in that country behind the Superliga.

“Simon has improved tremendously since first joining our club in 2022, which is credit to him as well as a byproduct of the integration with our MLS NEXT Pro team,” Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a release.

“With successful development comes increasing interest in our players. This transfer makes sense for all parties, as it allows us to continue to build our roster while giving Simon a platform to move forward in his career.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2034.