It had been almost a year prior to his appearance against Trinidad and Tobago since Marcel de Jong had donned the Canadian National Team kit. As a Canadian plying his trade at the club level at the very highest level in Germany, it wasn’t his level of performance that kept him from suiting up for Canada over the entirety of Canada’s current World Cup qualifying campaign.

Instead, a couple of injuries kept the 25 year old full back from duplicating his high quality club form at the International level.

However, those injuries are now in the past and De Jong is raring to go and primed to make his mark in Canada’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Panama.

“I’m fully fit. I’ve had a whole preseason with my club and I have had two competitive games as well. I played the full ninety minutes in my second game, so I’m 100% physically fit. I’m just hoping to keep it that way,” said De Jong following Canada’s training session at BMO Field today.

Asked if it has been a challenge fitting back into a team that he has been absent from for months, the Newmarket, Ontario born player was quick to dismiss that idea.

“It feels like it was just yesterday since I last played for Canada. I know all the boys and everything feels familiar,” said De Jong.

Central to getting back into the swing of things at the national team level was De Jong’s performance against Trinidad and Tobago in an International friendly last month in Florida. He was singled out as one of Canada’s most impressive performers by those in attendance at the neutral site match and the player himself was particularly thankful for the opportunity to integrate himself back into the Canadian setup prior to the team’s next World Cup qualifying fixtures.

“It was pretty important for me because it had been almost a year since I had played my last game with the national team. I was happy to be there and it was good to get the feeling back and I think I played well. Now I am happy to be here for the qualifiers.”

With Canada facing arguably the toughest opponent in their group in home and away matches against Panama on September 7th and 11th, many are looking to De Jong to make an immediate impact in the two crucial matches. The PSV youth product has certainly returned to the Canadian squad as one of the most accomplished players in the Canadian player pool.

After several years playing professionally in the Netherlands, De Jong made the move to Germany in 2010, where he promptly played a key role in FC Augsburg being promoted from the German second division to the Bundesliga, which is widely acclaimed as one of the top leagues in the world.

“It has been really nice (playing in Germany). I went to Germany and we were in the second division and our goal was to earn promotion to the first league. We did just that and the first year was really good and amazing. And in the second year, we knew it was going to be a tough year just to stay in the Bundesliga, but we survived and that was really big for a smaller club like Augsburg. So overall it has been really good.”

Asked if his strong performances in promotion and relegation battles with Augsburg have him better prepared for the travails of his first World Cup qualifying campaign, De Jong admitted that all of the high pressure matches he has played in over the last couple of years can only help him in his upcoming games with Canada.

“It just prepares you to play in big games and to do well at the right times. It teaches you to step up when the team needs you. World Cup qualifying is a lot of pressure but I think I can manage it.”

As a player who has won his share of key matches at the club level in recent years, De Jong sees getting the job done at home as the key to Canada getting out of their current group into the final round of World Cup qualifying for the CONCACAF region.

“I think we just have to win our home games. We have two more home games and that is six points. And maybe we can get a draw in one of the away games. I think we need two wins and a draw. We also need to be patient in our play. That is the big thing especially in the away game. We must push up at the right times and make the plays that we know we are capable of.” ”

Canadian national team head coach Stephen Hart has lauded De Jong as a versatile left footed player who can be effective in several positions, as well as a left sided player who can bring a different dimension to the Canadian team. As has been usual with Hart prior to previous matches, the Canadian skipper has kept his cards close to his vest in terms of his starting eleven and at which positions certain players are most likely play.

As for De Jong, while he has his own positional preference, he is willing to fulfill any role that will help Canada win.

“I am playing at left back at my club and that’s my favourite position. But if the coach needs me at a different position, I’ll just do my best, give it 100% and work for the team.”

Ultimately, De Jong is just happy to be back in the Canadian fold and he is particularly looking forward to replicating the type of success he has achieved at the club level with Canada at the International level.

“I want the same that I am doing over there. I want to achieve it over here. One thing is to make it to the next round. If we can make it there, then we will see how it goes with making it to the World Cup.”