Paris Gee is back for unfinished business in the Lou
Paris Gee has returned to Saint Louis FC to help the club get over the hump in 2020.
Saint Louis FC missed the Eastern Conference playoffs by one single point last season. With that close call, defender Paris Gee decided to return to finish what the club started last season. “I’ve really enjoyed being with Saint Louis this past year and having the opportunity to stay here and give more on the field is what I wanted to do,” Paris Gee told BGN. “There were things I wanted to achieve last season and being able to come back gives me more time to work on them. By staying with a group of guys I have already been playing with, I have the added benefit of being used to their playing styles on the field rather than starting from scratch with a brand-new team.”
Last season, Paris Gee played in 19 matches, including 13 starts, and connected on 10 key passes, one assist, and registered 20 interceptions. He is a full-back that doesn’t mind getting forward and involved in the attack, no matter if he’s on the right or left side. “My favorites to watch when I was younger were Phillip Lahm and Dani Alves. My favorite full-back to watch now is Marcelo. I like watching them make quality tackles and getting involved in the attack,” he explained.
Those traits are exactly what Gee believes the club needs to finetune for the 2020 season. “I think our team defense needs to be solid week in and week out and be more clinical as a team going forward,” he said.
Before arriving in the USL with Tulsa Roughnecks FC before Saint Louis, Paris Gee got his first professional experience playing for NK Rudes in Croatia. When discussing the lessons he learned there, Gee said, “Biggest thing I learned on the pitch was that I needed to be more technical to keep my career moving forward. When I first went on trial, I was amazed at how well guys could pick out a pass and pick out the upper 90 consistently. I definitely grew a lot as a player the two years I was over there.”
“Off the pitch, I learned that you needed to take some time for yourself and not focus on football 24/7. My coaches and agent at the time always asked if I was exploring the city, going to a coffee shop and relaxing so that when I came back to the training ground I was 100% ready to get after it again.”
He took that advice and enjoyed exploring the city of St. Louis last season. I really enjoyed spending time with my dogs at the parks around the city,” Gee explained. “One of my favorites is Forest Park. It’s nice to be able to grab a coffee, walk around, and enjoy some sunshine and then stop at the Boat House for a bite to eat on their patio.”
“It’s a beautiful day and I can’t stop myself from smiling,” Michael Bublé sang on his hit, “It’s A Beautiful Day“. It’s always a beautiful day when you can spend some time in a lovely city like St. Louis or in the shared hometown of Gee and Bublé’s, Burnaby, Canada. Also the hometown of Michael J. Fox and other notable figures, I asked Gee who the most famous Burnaby native is. He answered, “I think its Michael Bublé. Whenever you hear his voice on a radio or anywhere really you know it’s him. I really enjoy listening to his music.”
Paris added, “Growing up in Burnaby was great. There was always something to do. I played street hockey a lot with my friends up until my teens. It was also nice being the suburb that was in the middle of the greater Vancouver area, we could easily get to the mountains and get downtown pretty quick.”
Now, in the Canadian’s second season with the club, Paris Gee will be looking to put Saint Louis FC over the edge into the playoffs. The quest to get there will begin when STLFC hosts USL Championship newcomers Miami FC. Tickets are available, including a special flex pack of two tickets to the opener, two for another home match, and two Saint Louis FC branded whiskey glasses.
