Tottenham Hotspur executive director Paul Barber will be the chief executive of the Vancouver Whitecaps, the Canadian team set to join Major League Soccer in 2011.

"I have been hugely impressed by the ownership group's vision for the Whitecaps, and for the significant opportunity that Major League Soccer represents throughout North America," Barber told The Canadian Press.

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Barber is not the first link to Tottenham at the franchise. The Whitecaps are part-owned by NBA star Steve Nash, a lifelong Tottenham fan whose parents hail from north London. In the past, Nash has spoken of his desire to work with the English club.