5 Canadian Players To Look Out For

With Canada set to take on Panama on November 18th, and the U-20 side playing England on Wednesday night, MLSMultiplex decided it would be a good idea to look at some of the country’s brightest young stars.

Canada now has 3 Major League Soccer teams, 2 NASL sides, and a USL Pro club in the works, and as a result, we are already seeing a plethora of talent being developed across the country.

From the east to the west, here is a look at five Canadian players who the country is hoping can one day help lead them to their first World Cup appearance since 1986.

Jordan Hamilton (Toronto FC/C.D. Trofense)

Jordan Hamilton received his first call up to the Canadian Men’s National Team last month, when the team played Colombia at Red Bull Arena. Hamilton, won’t be in the squad meeting Panama, because he is currently training with the U-20 side in Europe. The U-20 team is preparing for next year’s U-20 World Cup qualifying tournament by playing stiff opposition, that includes the aforementioned England, as well as, Russia, and the USA.

At only 18 years of age, Hamilton already possesses a wealth of experience, and is currently on loan in Portugal playing for 2nd division side, C.D. Trofense. After three years with Toronto FC’s academy, he was officially signed to a professional contract earlier this year in January. He made his Major League Soccer debut in April against Colorado before being sent on loan to USL Pro club, Wilmington Hammerheads.

Hamilton’s current loan deal with Trofense includes the option for the Portuguese club to purchase Hamilton following the year long loan, for a fee of two million dollars, as well as, a provision for Trofense to get a portion of the profits from any future sale of Hamilton.

The striker has yet to start for Trofense, but he has made 5 appearances off the bench and has played a total of 94 minutes. It is unclear whether the Portuguese side will exercise the option to buy the Canadian on a permanent basis, however, the Canadian Men’s National Team already have high hopes for the youngster nonetheless.

Russel Teibert (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Russel Teibert briefly spent some time with the Toronto FC Academy before electing to move to Vancouver and join the Whitecaps’ residency program. It is a decision that went largely unnoticed at the time, but one that Toronto FC is still ruing to this day.

Teibert made his professional debut at only 17 years old, playing for Vancouver when they were competing in the USSF Division 2. Teibert started in 22 league matches this season and has already become a big part of the Whitecaps’ plans moving forward. He is an attacking midfielder who can play in several different positions, which makes him a very useful resource for any coach.

Teibert earned his first cap with the Canadian Men’s National Team back in August 2012 against Trinidad and Tobago, when he came on as a second half substitute. The youngster impressed in his appearance off the bench and was given the start against Denmark in January, 2013.

Doneil Henry (Toronto FC/Apollan Limassol)

The talented defender became the first ever player to graduate from the Toronto FC academy to the senior team. Despite only being 21 years old, the defender has officially just completed his 4th season with the club, but he also made 3 non-league appearances with the team in 2010, before signing a professional contract in August of that year.

Henry was sold to a Cypriot club earlier this year, in a deal that was not revealed until after the regular season had ended. The details of the deal were sketchy to say the least, with nobody wanting to talk about the move or what team had bought Henry. It was only revealed a couple of weeks ago, that Apollan Limassol was the team that bought the young Canadian.

Henry started in 19 league matches for Toronto FC this season and logged a total of 1,802 minutes. He was heavily relied on when captain, Steven Caldwell went down injured in the middle of the campaign.

Henry earned his first senior cap for the Canadian Men’s National Team back in August 2012 against Trinidad and Tobago, in the same match that saw Russel Teibert make his debut. He has become a regular for his country, and has been called up for the friendly against Panama.

 Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (Montreal Impact) 

Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé became Montreal’s sixth homegrown player when he signed a professional contract with the club in July. He made his professional debut earlier this season, playing for the Montreal Impact in the AMWAY Canadian Championship against FC Edmonton. He ended up starting in 3 regular season matches in 2014, and played a total of 270 minutes in league play during his rookie campaign.

Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé represented Canada at the U-18 level and received his first call up for the senior side back in August 2013, when he featured in a friendly against Mauritania on September 8th, 2013.

When the midfielder was asked about what Canadian head coach, Benito Floro, thought of him signing a professional contract back in July, he told reporters that the coach had always wanted the best for him.

“He knew I was training a lot with the team, but he was hoping that I’d make that last step for my confidence and so I could have even more quality games,” before adding “So, the next time – if I get more chances with the national team – I’ll have a bit more credentials than at the last camps,”

Marco Bustos (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Marco Bustos is a central attacking midfielder who was named the 2013 Whitecaps FC Most Promising Player. The 18 year old made his professional debut earlier this season when he featured for Vancouver in the Amway Canadian Championship against Toronto FC.

Bustos had accepted a call up with the Chilean U-20 National Team earlier this year, but is back with the Canadian U-20 side training in Europe at the moment. Bustos’ father was born in Chile, and Bustos could still elect to play for the South American country at the senior level. Although, Canada is hoping that it can convince Bustos to play for the country of his birth. It would be absolutely devastating for Canadians to lose a player of Bustos’ talent, after the player was developed completely in Canada, and is evidence that the game is making massive strides in the country.

Bustos also played for Canada at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.