By Warren De Lima
warren@canucks-abroad.com

Canadian Soccer Players Stand Out In The Home Of Football

The English will earnestly proclaim their country as the home of football and they may have validity to such a strong proclamation. England was the first country to organise the game of football by establishing the Football Association in1863, which formalised the rules of the game for the British Commonwealth, even before the Canadian Dominion was established. England also boasts the oldest football league and elimination cup tournament in the world, the Football Association Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup and was first awarded 21 years before the first Stanley Cup was won by the Montreal Hockey Club in 1893.

Since its establishment in 1888, England’s professional football league has evolved from its humble organised league of 12 teams to a 4 tiered league structure of 92 teams. The current league structure, The Barclays Premier League (Tier 1), The Coca-Cola Championship (Tier 2 ), Coca–Cola League One (Tier 3) and Coca-Cola League Two (Tier 4), consists of a system where teams can earn promotion to the league up or demotion to the league below, depending on their performance during the season.

The top tier, the Premier League, has grown to become the most popular domestic football league in the world because of its large volume of global viewers, vast corporate sponsorship and its ability to attract the best high priced players from around the world, such as Christiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, and Fernando Torres.

The Premier League has been the home of Canada’s most prolific soccer players who have had prominent careers in England. Former Canadian National team player Frank Yallop, was the back bone of Ispwich United’s defence for 13 years. Since his final kick in England, he has managed the Canadian National Team and is currently managing the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. Television soccer commentator and former Canadian National Team Goalie Craig Forrest, compiled a 17 year career with Ipswich Town and West Ham United and Tomaz Radzinski had 5 prominent seasons with Everton and Fulham. His best season was with Everton in 2002 - 2003, where he was amongst the league leaders in goals, ranked with global superstar such as Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Micheal Owen and Gianfranco Zola..

Today, 20 Canadian footballers are scattered throughout the many tiers of the English Football Leagues. Many of them are playing influential roles to stimulate success of their clubs and many are highly touted young prospects. Here are a few Canadian players who are stands outs with their clubs.

Canadian National Team defender, Paul Stalteri , a former German Bundesliga champion with Werder Bremen, is currently playing for Fulham FC, who are in the precarious relegation zone of the Premier League. It is the hope of Fulham supporters that Stalteri’s veteran experience, solid defensive play and spirited counter attacks at the right back defensive position will save Fulham from being relegated into the Coca-Cola Championship. He has played well since moving on loan from fellow EPL side, Tottenham and is part of a core of 6 North Americans on the Fulham team.

Canadian U20 player David Edgar is currently captaining Newcastle United’s reserve side. He is still remembered most for his breathtaking 20 yard game tying goal against football giants Manchester United on New Years Day 2007. That game was only his second of 3 senior side appearances so far, but he is still recognised on the streets of Newcastle for his performance on that memorable New Years Day game. This season however, the 20 year old has yet to play a match for the senior side and one of Canada’s and Newcastle United most promising players has voiced concerns to the front office about his lack of first team appearance.

Another Canadian U20/U23 player Asmir Begovic is tending goal with Portsmouth FC’s reserve side and has been touted by his goal keeping coach, David Coles, as having the attributes to be the best goalkeeper in the world. He was named to the senior squad in December 2007, but he has yet to make his senior side debut. At 20 years of age however, there is no rush for one of the brightest prospects for Canada and Portsmouth, other than for him to be cap-tied – Begovic has eligibility for Bosnia and would be sorely missed if he slipped through the fingers of the CMNT.

Iain Hume is a regular fixture for the Canadian National Team and his Coca-Cola Championship club Leicester city. The striker’s 8 goals this season currently leads the club, who are fighting to avoid relegation and stay in the Coca-Cola Championship League. At 24, he has already established a great career. He was one of the most talked about players in 2004, when his intensive play and stunning goals, including a blistering long range shot against Premier League side Bolton, led his League One Tranmere Rovers team to the Quarter Finals of the FA cup. Premier League legends Matt Le Tissier and Peter Schmeichel even touted him for his performance while commenting on Sky Sports and BBC’s Match of the Day and indicated that he should be playing in a higher league. Leicester City agreed and signed the player to the Championship side a year later for an initial $1m deal that could raise to $1.5m.

Former Canadian National team player and captain Jason De Vos is captaining the Coca-Cola Championship club Ipswish Town and is leading their teams fight for promotion into the Premier League. The strong centre back is well know for scoring goals on powerful headers and currently has 2 this season. His leadership and experience has been a cornerstone for the East Anglia club since 2004. He has spent the last 12 seasons in English football and has 49 caps for the CMNT.

Simeon Jackson is one of the most promising young Canadian Strikers. The 20 year old was the leading scorer of the National Conference (5th tier) side Rushden and Diamonds, a league below the professional English Football League structure. However, his club leading 16 goals this season had caught the eye of Gillingham manager Mark Stimson , who signed him to the League One (3rd tier) side for a transfer fee of £150,000 ($597,000) back in January 2008. Stimson is hoping Jackson’s goal scoring touch will help Gillingham avoid relegation from League One. Like David Edgar, Jaime Peters and Mike D’Agostino, Jackson was not released by his club for the U23 Olympic Qualifiers due to their club commitments, showing the key roles and high regard they have with their respective clubs.

Canadian soccer players are indeed making their mark in England’s historical football leagues, including the players listed below. There are Canadian veteran footballers being relied upon for their clubs success and Canada’s young prospects are considered to be the central foundation of their clubs future. Canadians are playing vital roles for their clubs and they hope to add more folk stories to what is already a historical and legendary English football league.

If you know of any Canadian playing in the English leagues that is not listed below, please email warren@canucks-abroad.com

Complete List of Current Players in England:

Paul Stalteri - Fulham FC (English Premier League) (1)
On loan from Tottenham (English Premier League) (1)
David Edgar - Newcastle (English Premier League) (1)
Asmir Begovic - Portsmouth (English Premier League) (1)
Janeil Hoillet - Blackburn (English Premier League) (1) Youth
Adam Street - West Ham United (English Premier League) (1) Youth
Shaun Saiko - Middlesbrough (English Premier League) (1) Youth

Iain Hume - Leicester City (English Championship) (2)
Jason De Vos - Ipswich Town (English Championship) (2)
Michal Misiewicz - Plymouth Argyle (English Championship) (2) U18

Paul Peschisolido - Luton Town (English League One) (3)
Marc Bircham - Yeovil Town (English League One) (3)
Simeon Jackson - Gillingham (English League One) (3)
Mike D'Agostino - Cheltenham Town (English League One) (3)
On loan from Blackpool FC (English Championship) (2)
Jaime Peters - Yeovil Town (English League One) (3)
On loan from Ipswich Town(English Championship) (2)

Terry Dunfield - Macclesfield Town (English League Two) (4)
Ross Smith - Dag & Red (English League Two) (4)
Octavio Maginnis-Castro - Peterborough United (English League Two) (4) U18

Gavin McCallum - Havant & Waterlooville (Blue Square Conf. South) (6)
Elliott Godfrey - Hampton & Richmond (Blue Square Conf. South) (6)
Simon Rayner - Boston United (Blue Square Conf. North) (6)
On loan from Torquay United (Blue Square Conf. National) (5)