When Ronan Kratt talks about football, it’s never sounded like a phase or a hobby.
“I started playing when I was five or six,” Kratt says. “Once it got to the point I was playing at a pretty competitive level, I knew I loved soccer more than any other sport, and it was always in my head that I wanted to play professionally.”
It’s something that’s been stitched into his life since he was young, back when weekends were split between soccer fields and hockey rinks, like so many Canadian kids. At some point, the choice became clear, football wasn’t just the sport he loved most, it was the one he could imagine himself chasing for the rest of his life.
Growing up, the idea of playing professionally felt distant and undefined. There was no Canadian Premier League yet, and the pathway wasn’t obvious. Like many young players, Kratt pictured university as a likely next step, with the hope that maybe, somehow, professional football would follow. That uncertainty lingered until the CPL became a reality near the end of his high school years, opening a door that hadn’t existed before.
At 18, Kratt took his first leap into the professional game with Inter Toronto, then known as York United.
“I was young, but I felt ready,” he explains. “Once I got comfortable after the first couple of games, I realized I had the ability to play at that level.”
It was a sharp transition, from youth soccer to dressing rooms filled with players a decade older, some with families of their own, but one that accelerated his growth. Having already trained with older players during the COVID years, he found his footing quickly. Trusted by the coaching staff, Kratt stepped into the starting lineup early and never really looked back, playing a key role in York’s turnaround in the second half of the season.
That belief, in himself and in his ability to play at that level, only deepened when another opportunity arose overseas.
A move to Germany and Werder Bremen brought a different kind of challenge. The language, the culture, the scale of the club, everything was bigger, faster, and more demanding. Training alongside players competing at the highest levels of the global game came with moments of intimidation, but also clarity. And in an environment where improvement was unavoidable, he grew.
“There were moments of imposter syndrome,” Kratt admits. “You’re training next to guys playing in the World Cup and the Euros. But I had to remind myself I was there for a reason."
After two and a half formative years in Germany, Kratt felt ready for the next chapter. He wanted responsibility. He wanted to lead. And when conversations with Pacific FC head coach James Merriman aligned around playing style, development, and ambition, the move west made sense.
From the moment he arrived on Vancouver Island, it felt different.
“You’re flying over all these islands, it’s green, even in the winter,” Kratt says. “I feel pretty blessed to be living in such a beautiful place and playing football here.”
Flying over green coastline and scattered islands didn’t quite resemble the Canada Kratt knew growing up. The club environment, too, stood out: welcoming teammates, supportive staff, and fans who embraced him almost immediately. It felt like a place where he could settle, push forward, and take another step in his career.
The 2025 season started exactly the way Kratt had envisioned. Goals came early. Confidence followed. Everything pointed toward a breakout year.
And then it stopped.
An ACL and meniscus tear, the kind of injury every player dreads, brought everything to a halt in a single moment.
“When it happened, I knew right away,” Kratt says. “It just felt like one of those injuries that’s probably a season-ender.”
Kratt knew almost immediately what it meant. Despite walking off the pitch, the reality quickly set in: his season was over.
“The first six weeks after surgery felt like an eternity,” he explains. “I couldn’t bear weight. I couldn’t even walk to the kitchen to get food. That was the hardest part.”
After surgery, six weeks without bearing weight felt endless. Simple tasks required help. Running, training, competing, the routines that shaped his identity, were suddenly gone. It was, as Kratt describes it, one of the hardest stretches of his life.
But he wasn’t alone.
Rehabbing alongside teammates Juan Quintana and Lukas Browning, who were also recovering from ACL injuries, and supported daily by Pacific FC’s medical staff, the process became collective. The three pushed each other through sideline sessions, shared frustrations, and talked constantly about what next season could look like. The club became more than a workplace, it became a support system.
There were also fans. Game after game, supporters stopped Kratt to ask about his recovery, to say they missed seeing him on the pitch. Those moments mattered. They still do. They’re part of what fuels his motivation heading into this season.
Now, eight to nine months later, Kratt is sprinting again.
“I’m doing everything now, sprinting, training, all of it,” Kratt says. “It might not feel exactly the same as before, but I’m learning to make that the new normal.”
Training fully. Preparing to return. Recovery hasn’t been linear, and he’s learned that an injured knee doesn’t simply feel “normal” again overnight. There’s a new reality to adjust to, physically and mentally, but it’s one he’s embraced.
In some ways, the time away has changed him for the better.
“I’ve never had this much time to work on my strength and conditioning,” he says. “It’s cliche to say you come back stronger, but I genuinely feel like I am.”
He’s stronger, more disciplined, and more appreciative of the game itself. Having football taken away clarified just how much it means to him.
Mentally, too, there’s a new edge. The fear that can linger after a serious injury doesn’t define his return. He’s been through it. He knows what it feels like. And he’s not interested in holding back.
As he prepares for his first full CPL season, Kratt’s focus is forward.
“I still haven’t played a full CPL season,” Kratt says. “That’s something I’m really focused on this year, doing everything I can to have a successful season.”
Stepping back onto the pitch will be a moment worth savouring, but it’s only the beginning. What excites him most is what comes next, competing every week, contributing consistently, and chasing that feeling that every attacker lives for. Scoring.
“That feeling,” Kratt says, “there’s nothing else like it.”
For Ronan Kratt, this season isn’t just a return. It’s a continuation of a journey that started on local fields, carried him across continents, tested his resilience, and brought him back stronger, hungrier, and ready to make his mark once again.