LEE CLARK and John Vaughan both like the look of Canadian keeper Simon Thomas.

That’s why they’ve offered the 21-year-old former Vancouver Whitecaps player a one-year contract.

Thomas, who stands 6ft 3in tall and will wear squad number 36, spent three months on trial at the Galpharm last season after becoming a free agent.

And he’ll spend the next 12 working alongside Alex Smithies, Ian Bennett, Nick Colgan and Lloyd Allinson under the expert eye of Vaughan, who said: “Having worked with him for an extended period, I believe he has potential.

“He has a lot of raw ability and has already benefited from the work we have put in as a group.”

Clark commented: “We want to explore the potential we have seen, and Simon will form part of our development squad and work closely with Vaughany.”

Born in Victoria, British Columbia, Thomas played local junior football and represented his province at Under 16 level before joining the development squad at the Whitecaps in 2007 after impressing in a friendly against Leicester Under 18s.

He was called into the senior squad for a pre-season trip to Tanzania in 2009 and made his competitive debut against Crystal Palace Baltimore last September.

Thomas, who has English family heritage, is currently waiting for international clearance before completing the contractual paperwork.

He will aim to become the first Canadian to represent Town since Ontario-born Kevin Sharp in 2002-03.

Before that Canadian international defender Jim Brennan came on loan from Nottingham Forest in 2001.

Meanwhie young Canadians Les Parsons and Bruce Twomley had unsuccessful Town trials back in 1969.

l Ex-Town man Gary Taylor-Fletcher scored as Blackpool won 1-0 at Hull in their season-opening Championship clash.