They call him Mr. Halifax: Inside Andre Rampersad's journey from La Horquetta to longest-serving Wanderer

He arrived in Nova Scotia unceremoniously, a leather jacket and pair of boots his only clothing to brace himself against the whipping winds of the North Atlantic. Then Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart picked him up and drove him through Halifax, showing him and some other players around town, and took them to supper. His first training session with his new club was scheduled the next day.

Andre Rampersad, then 23-years old and eager to cut his teeth in the fledgling Canadian Premier League, still remembers that first day of training and the overwhelming feeling of shock having traded Trinidad and Tobago's balmy weather for a cooler Canadian climate.

"I hadn't traveled anywhere cold in my life," recalls Rampersad in an interview with The Wanderers Notebook. "That first day of practice, I remember the cold air running through my nose and it was just so different."

But even in those early days of 2019, his life in Canada just begun, the Trinidad and Tobago international says he remembers the feeling of excitement.

"I remember thinking from day one, having seen the project: 'I think there's something great that can happen here,'" says Rampersad.

Seven years later, the young man from La Horquetta has made his mark in the Nova Scotian capital: Rampersad is the longest-serving Wanderer, club captain and now calls Halifax home with his growing family. He'll celebrate his 30th birthday in a few weeks, a football veteran compared to the kid who landed in Canada without a winter coat to his name and a burning desire to play.

But some things haven't changed.

Rampersad says he still believes that the Wanderers are heading in the right direction despite a disappointing campaign in 2024. And, seven years into his CPL journey, there isn't another club he'd want to play for. It's one of the reasons he inked an extension with the Wanderers on Friday that could see him in Halifax blue until 2027.

Nicknames — like legacies — aren't often decided by those they are ascribed to and that's the case for Rampersad, who has affectionately been dubbed "Mr. Halifax." Current head coach Patrice Gheisar has shared the nickname liberally in press conferences with reporters and media.

When asked about it, Rampersad smiles and immediately cites his gratitude.

"First of all, I want to thank all the people who have made me feel this comfortable. They show me a lot of love and in return, I give them 110 per cent on the pitch," he begins. "When I hear coach call me Mr. Halifax, it's the only thing you can say. I've been here, going into my seventh year, so it just makes sense. It makes me so proud of myself."

The Wanderers have grown a lot since 2019 and Rampersad has been part of that journey, step by step, including the highs of playing Toronto FC in the Canadian Championship and their first playoff match and the lows of disappointing, sometimes disjointed, seasons.

Last season, says Rampersad, was difficult given their success in 2023 but he thinks the club is making the rights moves — including key signings like Thomas Meilleur-Giguère and Rayane Yesli — to address their needs.

“Last year, I know the season didn’t go as planned but I’m just asking the fans — as they do every year, it’s proven — to stick with us and stick with the process. There’s a lot of good performances last year that we let slip away," he explains. "But if you look at the signings we’re making, it’s very strategic to help us with these mistakes that were made in the past. The club is headed in the right direction. We’re going to try and keep working for the club and try to make history.”

For his part, Rampersad says he's always viewed Meilleur-Giguère as one of the best, and underestimated, centre-backs in the league. It's a signing he thinks will help the club push for a return to the playoffs.

But last year's poor results have also ushered in departures, including many of Rampersad's long-time teammates. Zachary Fernandez, Aidan Daniels, Dan Nimick, Cale Loughrey, Yann Fillion and Riley Ferrazzo have all parted ways with the Wanderers following a sixth place finish. It is, says Rampersad, part of football.

“It’s tough because these are guys that have been part of history by being the first (Wanderers) team to make the playoffs. Zach (Fernandez) has been with the club for a number of years, Aidan Daniels as well, and these guys have become like family. Truly, they are guys you go to war with and they have your back, they’ve proven that and that’s the hard part of the game. You get close to people and near the end of the season, you never know if you’re going to see them again," he says.

There's been changes to Rampersad's life off the pitch, too. He and his partner became parents in August, welcoming a baby boy, but it wasn't without a little drama.

"We actually played Forge that day, we were on a road trip and I almost missed (his birth), to be honest. I had to leave the morning of and I made it just in time to see my son born," he says.

This off-season has been different for Rampersad as he and his partner, who live in Halifax year-round, navigate early parenthood. Between keeping himself fit, he says they've enjoyed family walks, the occasional meal out at Bicycle Thief or Montana's, but have mostly stuck to home.

"He’s everything now. Everyone would say that but that’s the truth. I wake up, he wakes up, he’s smiling and it’s everything. Even now, doing this interview, he’s on my mind and I can’t wait to get home to play with him. When you’re in it, you just feel that love," says Rampersad.

But he's also been called to help out the Wanderers in other ways, including getting on the phones to assist the club in renewing season tickets. Rampersad says it's given him a taste of other aspects of the club, for better or for worse, as he was only able to get through to one member.

"There were a lot of busy lines but it was good to do that," he says.

On the topic of leadership, Rampersad points to both Gheisar and goalkeeping coach Jan-Michael Williams as role models, noting he likes to incorporate things he's learned from other leaders in his life. He says, compared to the player he was in 2020 when he earned the armband full-time, he's more mature and — like a pilot helping navigate ships safely into Halifax Harbour — knows how to interact with all the different personalities that make up a football club. Life, and the beautiful game, have taught him a a lot about himself.

When asked about coaching, he admits it's something he's considering after his playing career.

"It's definitely something I can look at and maybe, eventually, like to do," he says. "But right now, I'm a player, I don't try to think too far ahead. When that day comes, we'll cross that bridge. But I think there's a possibility it could happen."

Rampersad is Halifax's all-time appearance leader with 140 matches to his name.

And since 2023, he's increasingly been called upon by Trinidad and Tobago internationally, making 18 appearances for his country. He scored his first international goal during the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, an achievement the midfielder says he'll remember forever. He adds that he was lucky enough to have his grandmother and parents in the crowd when his side played the United States, his best footballing memory to date.

"I remember looking in the crowd and I felt like it was the top of my career. Like I had really made my family proud," Rampersad recalls. "I couldn't hold it, I started to cry and I had to look down."

Playing on the international stage has also added an element of pressure that the 29-year old relishes: he feels the weight of representing the CPL. When Trinidad and Tobago squared off against Canada in the Copa América qualifiers last March, for example, Rampersad says he wanted to do the league proud to showcase the talent it had to offer.

"I see guys (in the CPL) who should be at (the national team) level. Maybe they play with a CPL club and it’s harder to get recognized in that way. Alphonso Davies plays for Bayern Munich, I play in the CPL. In my mind, I have to play well in order for them to have a look at guys in the CPL," he says.

His determination, however, has not gone unnoticed.

Following their 2-0 loss to Canada, Rampersad shares that he spoke with some of the Canadian players, including Davies and Jacob Shaffelburg, who hails from Port Williams, N.S. Shaffelburg in particular praised the work happening with the Wanderers.

"I said to him: 'I hope my time doesn't run out in Halifax and maybe you can come back.' I mean, he's a pretty young guy so I don't know if that's going to happen but it shows he's taking a peak at what's going on with the Halifax Wanderers," Rampersad says. "I think that's pretty cool."

He adds his only regret is he forgot to exchange kits with the Nashville SC forward.

If his option for 2027 is exercised, Rampersad will be just shy of his 33rd birthday when his deal with Halifax expires. There's a lot of football to be played between now and then, perhaps even the Wanderers' first shot at a trophy, but all that is yet to come.

The CPL's 2025 season, in the shorter term, is just around the corner.

And although nicknames aren't often decided by those they are ascribed to, Rampersad says he's thought about his legacy when his time with the Wanderers is at an end. Halifax has become his home. And it's something he's addressed very recently while negotiating his new contract.

"What's better than Halifax?" he quips when asked about building a legacy.

"I'd rather stick with the process and see it out. One thing that can't be taken away is the love that people show me here and I'm going to fight for them until I hang up my boots."

There's a reason they call him Mr. Halifax. And, thanks to his new contract, he'll be showing it on the pitch for a few more seasons yet.

Further reading:

• Tiago Coimbra has signed a contract that could see him in Halifax until 2028. And with backing from the club, he’s set his sights on winning U-21 Player of the Year
• Mark Watson has seen it all. And with the Wanderers, he’s looking to build systems for long-term success using his experiences from MLS
• How curiosity led CanWMT veteran and Olympic champion Erin McLeod to become the first signing in Halifax Tides history

Cover Photo Credit: Trevor MacMillan / Halifax Wanderers FC