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Doneil Henry is certainly turning heads.
Coming off a season with more playing time for his club, and a first cap for the Canadian Men’s National Team, Doneil Henry’s star continues to rise – the young centerback picked up the Canadian U-20 player of the year award for his achievements in 2012, the perfect way to cap off a season of maturity and growth.
The 19-year-old defender beat out notable players such as Samuel Piette and Bryce Alderson for the crown as Canada’s best under-20 player, and it’s an award Henry certainly appreciates. RedNation Online had a chance to speak with Doneil Henry, who shared his thoughts on the award, on club and on country, and reveals exclusive details on his contract renewal, as well as settling the score in La Liga!
See also: Henry, D'Angelo named 2012 Canadian U-20 Players of the Year
We asked Doneil Henry, first, to share his thoughts on the award, which he won on December 10, via votes from coaches across the nation.
“It feels great, you know, I’m honoured,” said Henry, of the U-20 award. “There’s great competition and great guys on the squad too, they’ve definitely done well for themselves.”
“I’m just happy that I won the award and I just wanna keep striving.”
It’s this attitude of progress that has made Henry a star in 2012. The award itself comes at a time in Henry’s career where big moves begin to heat up, and the pace of change picks up, too. With many new and exciting opportunities awaiting him, Henry looks to be ready to take them on head-first – the award, it seems, is just the start:
“Something big, especially being honoured by your country and being at the U-20 level isn’t something I really expected but I’m just happy that I have something else to keep me going, keep me positive, keep me succeeding further on in the soccer game,” said Henry.
There is plenty to look forward to in 2013 for Canada’s U-20 program, too. The upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey is one tournament Henry is looking forward to.
“My personal career, especially going into 2013? Qualifying with the U20 team is definitely something I want to really focus on, and then after qualifying, hopefully we can do well enough in the tournament,” said Henry.
Henry speaks with RedNation following Canada's 2-0 win over the United States at the 2012 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
Henry’s future with the national team, post-U20, is promising, too – the young defender had a chance to play for the senior national team in 2012, heading to camp and playing against Trinidad & Tobago. Henry describes his experience with the national team, the first of many, by the looks of it:
“I’ll be honest, going to camp, I just felt I was on a high note, especially with TFC, so I guess they wanted to try and see how I reacted,” said Henry. “I was a little bit nervous but I wanted to get my first cap for the national team, going into camp, I knew it was possible. When I went there, the guys were great! I just loved being with the men’s team, everything was a more relaxed environment, we played soccer, and I’m thankful I played the game, and we won, so it was really positive.”
His performances for Toronto FC earned him the call-up, a real accomplishment, considering he started the 2012 season as one of many defenders on Toronto FC’s roster, and finished it as a vital piece in the club’s plans. Toronto FC had signed plenty of defenders, heading into 2012, most notably Miguel Aceval and Geovanny Caiceido from South America.
They also picked up Logan Emory, to compliment the likes of Adrian Cann, Dicoy Williams, Ty Harden and, later, Darren O’Dea. With plenty of competition, Henry managed to break through and earn plenty of minutes (18 games in total).
Now, Toronto FC has reduced the number of centerbacks on the roster, but has added a few crucial pieces, too: Danny Califf and Gale Agbossoumonde join the Reds for the 2013 season, both as viable starters should they get their way. Still, Doneil Henry isn’t ready to slump back down the depth chart. Having been utilized as a centerback and a right back throughout 2012, Henry is ready to solidify his position in the back line for next season.
“It’s only healthy,” said Henry, of competition in the roster. “I don’t know much about [Califf] but he’s a league veteran so I’m sure he knows the game well and knows his position well, but I still want to be that starting centerback – if they give it to me, I’m going to take it.”
This hunger for playing time is a quality that the TFC Academy, itself, is trying to instil in its players. Henry, a product of the TFC Academy, has gradually cemented himself as a long-term fixture, and is looking at 2013 as the year he, like Ashton Morgan before him, secures his spot in the back line for Toronto FC.
“I want to get more playing time next year with my club team, so a lot of little steps, I know I’m going to have to start fighting for a spot, especially with the players they’re bringing in now. It’s really positive competition, especially with the national team and with TFC,” said Henry.
“Last season, you know, it wasn’t easy, trying to find a solid back line – thought I could have gotten some more playing time, but injuries held me back a bit. You know, I’m happy with my progress. I started with, when I first got signed, playing one game at the end of the season coming in at stoppage time; the year after, when Aron Winter took over, coming towards the last end of that season and my contribution at the end (especially my highlight moment of the year) playing against Dallas in the CONCACAF Champions League and then, now, playing and starting for a good stretch of games. Next year, I just want to solidify my spot and be part of that back line for the long-term future,” he continued.
We asked Henry if Paul Mariner had spoken to him about his role in 2013:
“No, but I think that’s why they signed me to a long-term deal, they see that there’s a lot of potential in me, in the future, being one of the guys in the club that will be here for a long, long time. Definitely signing that contract shows that they have a lot of interest in me. I know that I have a bright future so I just want to not prove them wrong, keep their trust and keep working hard,” said Henry.
This new contract, which Henry signed last season, sees him sticking with Toronto FC for the next few years. The exact terms of the deal weren’t revealed, but Henry clarified just how long the contract runs to:
“If I’m not mistaken, I think it’s three or four years. I think my contract renewal will be in 2016,” said Henry.
While Henry continues his career with Toronto FC, his academy teammates, Oscar Cordon, Keith Makubuya and Nicolas Lindsay, will not. The club released the trio during the offseason, marking the first time TFC Academy graduates have been cut by the senior team.
“You know what, in the end of the day, there’s still going to be my friends and I love them to death, but it’s a business,” said Henry. “I’m not really worried about them because I know that they’re great players and they can find another club easily, so I just want to say good luck to them and I know one day we’ll play together on the national team.”
Doneil Henry took part in RedNation Online’s Perfect 10 series, but made a grave mistake – he chose two Chelsea players, four Real Madrid players, and four FC Barcelona players! For those who follow La Liga, it’s clear that Henry had to make a choice right then and there, and RNO asked Henry who he thought was better – Real Madrid, or FC Barcelona.
Henry didn’t hesitate for a second.
“Definitely Barcelona!” said Henry, with a laugh. “My favourite player (Sergio Ramos) plays for Real Madrid, but Barca plays better soccer!”
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