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With the Canadian Men’s National Team continuing its evolution under the guidance of Head Coach Benito Floro with training sessions this week and two World Cup qualifiers against Belize, the Spanish gaffer will continue to depend on a handful of key veteran players to help lead a squad that contains a number of young players still finding their way at the International level.
One key player in that regard is undoubtedly 28 year old central defender David Edgar, who has been a mainstay on defense in recent years and the key leader of the squad’s back line.
According to Edgar, the challenge of leading Canada on and off the pitch is something he relishes and something that he has been focused on for several years now.
“It feels like it was only yesterday that it was the case that I was coming here to train with the likes of Kevin McKenna and Paul Stalteri and learning from them,” Edgar told RedNation. “I did learn a lot from them in terms of how to look after the youngsters coming through and how to be a leader on the field. They were two fantastic professionals who always gave 110% and who were professional off the field as well. I don’t enjoy getting older but I really quite enjoy being one of the older players on the squad and taking on that leadership mantle.”
While Edgar partnered up very effectively with central defender Dejan Jakovic earlier this summer at the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the veteran Shimizu S-Pulse defender is currently injured and unable to participate in Canada’s next two World Cup qualifying matches against Belize. Thus, Edgar will once again have a different central defense partner when Canada kicks off their next match.
Asked if it is a challenge playing with different defenders seemingly every time he pulls on a Canadian kit, Edgar was quick to admit that certain variables are just part and parcel of competing at the International level.
“It is International football, so it is quite different from club football,” Edgar explained.
“You have different selections based on fitness and if you are playing at your club team and things like that. It is difficult and you have to come in and you have a week to work. But you do know the guys and you basically know your role, so it is quite easy to slot in. We’ve got a lot of good young players coming in who are willing to listen, so it makes my job easier.”
The Kitchener, Ontario native has arrived at Canada’s training camp in Alliston, Ontario in a good frame of mind, with both a solid run of form at the club level with his new club Sheffield United and the understanding he has built up with Floro over the last couple of years providing a solid spring in his step.
“I’ve loved every minute of it (with Sheffield United),” Edgar said. “Obviously, you can’t complain when it is five games and five wins and I have been playing in every game. It is a fantastic club, a Championship/Premiership club. We have 25,000 coming out to matches in League One. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“International football is different from club football, especially in England at times,” Edgar added. “I enjoy getting on the ball and playing from the back. Benito knows what my strengths are and he tries to utilize them. We talk quite a lot about how we want to play and what we want to do. I think we have a good understanding.”
Edgar is currently training with a Canadian side preparing for their first matches since Canada was eliminated at the Group Stage of the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. In that vein, the 31 times capped Canadian International is looking forward to working with his side to build on the positives that were inherent in what was a disappointing tournament overall for his squad.
“We do take positives (from the Gold Cup),” Edgar explained. “Afterwards it did hurt. I was desperate to be involved in the knockout rounds in the Gold Cup because I haven’t had that opportunity yet.”
“We were all hurt (by the elimination at the Group Stage), but when you step away from it and look at it as a whole, we were competitive in all three games and probably should have won two of the three,” he added. “It is tough to take but I thought were defensively solid as a team and as a back four. We just need that cutting edge and killer instinct going forward and that is what we are working on in training today.”
Edgar and company will now take on Belize next in a home and away series in qualification matches for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. According to the 28 year old defender, the keys for Canada will be to build on the strengths the team displayed at the Gold Cup while taking care of business at home in opening leg.
“Right now we are just taking it one game at a time starting with Belize on Friday,” Edgar said. “You have to go and do a professional job and don’t want a banana peel and to slip up because that is always a worry. We need to take a good goal advantage down to Belize (for the second leg) because it is tough playing in these countries and playing on difficult pitches and in difficult circumstances.”
“We want to go into Friday’s game with confidence but not overconfident to point where we don’t perform and get a scare,” Edgar added. “We just have to do a professional job and hopefully go and do ourselves justice in terms of going out there and scoring some goals, keeping a clean sheet and playing some good football and building our confidence for hopefully the next round of qualifying.”
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