Eric Lajeunesse

Eric James Lajeunesse  (born March 10, 2003) is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Pacific FC in the Canadian Premier League.

Early life
From 2011 to 2021, he played with the Ottawa St. Anthony Futuro Academy. In 2019, he had a five-week trial with English club Plymouth Argyle's U18 team. In September 2021, he joined the Vancouver Whitecaps academy.

University career
In 2022, Lajeunesse began attending the University of British Columbia, where he played for the men's soccer team. While at UBC, he pursued a biology degree. On September 25, 2022, he scored his first goal in a 4-0 victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies. In his rookie season, he was named the Canada West Rookie of the Year and the U Sports Rookie of the Year. In 2023, he was named to both the Canada West and U Sports First Team All-Stars.

Club career
In 2022, he played with the Whitecaps FC Academy in League1 British Columbia. He made his debut on May 22 against Victoria Highlanders FC.

At the 2023 CPL-U Sports Draft, Lajeunesse was selected in the first round (6th overall) by Pacific FC. After attending pre-season with the club, he signed a U-Sports development contract with the club in April 2023, allowing him to maintain his university eligibility. He made his professional debut on April 21 in a 2023 Canadian Championship match against Cavalry FC. He also spent some time on loan with Pacific's League1 British Columbia affiliate Nautsa’mawt FC in 2023. In August 2023, he departed the club to return to university, per the terms of his U Sports contract. Pacific subsequently chose to retain his rights for the following season. In April 2024, he signed another U Sports contract with the club for the 2024 season.