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Aiden Rushenas always knew he'd get his chance. But to earn his professional debut, he first needed to learn the art of waiting.

Aiden Rushenas always knew he'd get his chance. But to earn his professional debut, he first needed to learn the art of waiting.

Aiden Rushenas remembers sending an Instagram message.

He's 17-years old at the time and yet to prove himself as a star goalkeeper for the Dalhousie Tigers. In fact, he's still a few months away from heading to Nova Scotia as a student-athlete. But in his heart of hearts, he says he always knew he wanted to be a professional footballer.

So he sends a message out of the blue, cold as the Atlantic, to Halifax Wanderers goalkeeping coach Jan-Michael Williams. They've never met. But Rushenas wants to ask him about opportunities with the Wanderers.

"You'll laugh about this but I messaged him to say, 'Hey, here's my video, I'll be coming for school and I'm very interested in this club. Is it possible to maybe get a trial,'" Rushenas tells The Wanderers Notebook after training on Friday.

Williams responded, commending his courage, and told him to keep working hard.

By the end of his first season with the Tigers, Rushenas had piqued the interest of the Wanderers with his play and was invited by then head coach Stephen Hart to join pre-season camp. Fast forward a year and countless hours of training later — all without a contract — and Rushenas was selected as the club's 2023 CPL - U Sports draft pick. He later signed a U Sports contract and then inked a deal to keep him around the rest of the 2023 CPL season. This year, he joined the Wanderers on his first professional contract, beginning to realize a dream.

"It's funny how it comes full circle from a small Instagram message to being on the roster," says Rushenas.

But being on the roster isn't the same thing as playing matches, a fact Rushenas knows all too well. U.S. men's national team coach Mauricio Pochettino has a saying that players sign contracts to train, not to play matches, and it's an apt description of the beginning of Rushenas' burgeoning football career.

Not that he had an issue with training and earning his keep. Rushenas explains he relished the opportunity to learn behind veteran goalkeeper Yann Fillion, whose 10-year career has spanned Norway, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland and Canada. He says by having the mentality of improving everyday, even if it's just by one per cent, he believed his time would come.

However, over halfway through last season, Rushenas says he had a decision to make: return for a third season with the Tigers or remain with the Wanderers.

"In the grand scheme of things, I made the right choice to stay with this group. If I did choose to go back to university, I don't know if I'd still be here right now," he says. "The training environment is very competitive. I told myself last year, even if it was only going to be training, I'd get more out of it for my own growth than playing in AUS games. I'm glad it's paid off, in a way."

(Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan/HFX Wanderers FC)

Rushenas continued to wait for his opportunity and, ultimately, had to wait through the off-season, too. When asked about the mental grind of not being selected, Rushenas admits it isn't always easy. Doubts, inevitably, creep in.

"Training is one thing, you can be good in training and what not but you're always going to be questioning yourself in your own head saying: 'Am I good enough for this level? Can I perform?" he says of waiting for his first professional start.

"You have to tell yourself your time will come. And you just need to be prepared for that."

In some ways, you could say Rushenas perfected the art of waiting. He trained with the team. He traveled with the team. He sat on the bench with the team.

And, eventually, his opportunity came.

On August 14 — after being on the bench for 44 straight league and cup matches over a season and a half — Rushenas earned his first professional start in Hamilton against Forge FC.

And although the result isn't what he wanted, Rushenas says getting his first match under his belt was key in taking the next steps in his professional journey.

“We got red cards, it’s why we lost the game but I think it was a platform to really showcase myself more because it led to more actions for myself, more saves, more involvement with crosses," he says.

He then earned his second start against Pacific on September 7, the Wanderers again hampered by red cards, but garnered the praise of head coach Patrice Gheisar, who confirmed his belief in his young goalkeeper's path.

"For me, the U-21 rule is meant for one thing: to give young players a developing platform and to allow them to play and stay in this league. I don't want to use a player and use him for the minutes and when they're (no longer eligible), they're out of the league," Gheisar told reporters. "With Aiden, it's been him working extremely hard, it's him being patient and it's us continuing to support him and giving him the message, 'Hey Aiden, we know you didn't play one game last year but we believe in you.' When I look at Aiden, he's a successful story of the U-21 rule because I have a feeling he'll stay in this league and continue to thrive."

Rushenas is the first to admit he doesn't know what the last six matches of the season hold for him. But he says he's hungry for more, continues to push himself in training, with the hopes of contributing to his club.

"I'm not sure what the coaching staff is thinking but they know how badly I want to play again. Once you get a game, you're buzzing and just want to keep that streak going. All I can do now is try and keep the competition healthy between Yann and I," he says.

And Rushenas has other goals, too.

Sitting in an empty Wanderers Grounds after training, he stares at the grandstands as he talks about what he envisions for the next steps of his career. He talks about his future in relation to the Wanderers and being able to make the starting XI week in, week out. He talks about helping any way he can.

He's also excited when asked about Olympique de Marseille, his boyhood club that he fell in love with while his Dad scrolled French television and landed on a Ligue 1 match being played at the Vélodrome. The roar of the crowd that day, even though the volume was low and he was a world away, continues to reverberate in his memory.

"I got goosebumps watching it," he recounts.

And when asked about Canadians Ismaël Koné and Derek Cornelius joining Marseille, Rushenas becomes pensive.

"I find it so cool that these guys, obviously, are at a higher step in their careers right now but it gives me extra motivation to think eyes are on Canadian players. Who says it's impossible that I couldn't play for  Olympique de Marseille as well? It's an added level of motivation," he says.

There's a long way to go between his first professional start, only a month or so ago, and making a move to Europe. But the patience and dedication Rushenas has shown with the Wanderers, biding his time, learning the art of waiting, will only serve him well as he continues his burgeoning football career. He's only getting started.

And good things are worth waiting for.

Further reading:

Cover Photo Credit: Halifax Wanderers FC

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