Stephen Eustaquio didn't need much convincing when the opportunity came to join Swansea City.
Fresh off helping Canada reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time, the midfielder was drawn by the chance to help the Welsh club chase a return to the Premier League — and reunite with a familiar coach.
Swansea announced Thursday that it had signed the 29-year-old from Portuguese powerhouse Porto to a two-year contract with an option for another season.
Eustaquio said the chance to work with head coach Vitor Matos, who previously worked at Porto, played a major role in the move.
"It was almost a no-brainer for me," Eustaquio said in a release from Swansea. "I know what I'm going to get here, so I'm very happy that I made this decision."
Swansea finished 11th in the Championship last season, well outside the promotion playoff positions.
Eustaquio knows Swansea's path back to the Premier League will be difficult.
"The dream of being part of a big club looking to get back to the top league was the big attraction for me," he said. "Obviously, it's going to be very hard, but at the same time, if you think game by game, it's very possible to create a special atmosphere here in the stadium, and it might be a special season. Who knows?"
Born in Leamington, Ont., to Portuguese parents, Eustaquio moved to Portugal as a child. Before joining Porto, he played for Portuguese club Chaves and Mexico's Cruz Azul.
He spent four-and-a-half years at Porto, making more than 150 appearances. He also spent four months on loan with Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC earlier this year.
Eustaquio has 61 caps for Canada and has represented the country at the last two World Cups.
At this summer's tournament, he scored the stoppage-time winner in Canada's 1-0 victory over South Africa in the Round of 32 before co-host Canada was eliminated by Morocco. He also wore the captain's armband for many of the games with Alphonso Davies dealing with a hamstring injury.
"This summer was amazing," Eustaquio said. "For us as a country it was a dream come true to go so far in such an amazing tournament.
"The fact that we broke some records was amazing, and the fact that I was able to help the team with that goal against South Africa was a really big moment of happiness."
He will wear No. 46 for Swansea and could make his debut this weekend against Derby County.
