Football

World Cup 2022: John Herdman predicts Champions League future for Canada players

World Cup 2022: John Herdman predicts Champions League future for Canada players

Canada coach John Herdman says more of his 2022 World Cup squad can follow in the footsteps of right-back Alistair Johnston in securing a move to Europe.

Johnston, who started all three of Canada’s matches at the tournament, will complete a move to Scottish giants Celtic in January.

The 24-year-old is expected to move to Glasgow from CF Montreal in a reported £3m deal, and his national coach Herdman believes it could be the first of many such moves involving his players.

Canada lost their three Group F matches in Qatar, falling to defeats against Belgium, Croatia and Morocco.

But the table did not represent the full story, with Canada pushing Belgium all the way in the opening game. Star player Alphonso Davies missed a penalty early on, with Michy Batshuayi going on to score the only goal of the match.

Herdman’s side then lost 4-1 to Croatia, despite Davies giving his nation an early lead with a fine header. Canada then showed their worth once more in the final group game, but fell 2-1 to eventual group winners Morocco.

Canada boss expecting bright future for his players

Despite the failure to pick up a single point, Herdman believes many of his squad members had a tournament to remember.

“Coming into Qatar our players, many of them, were unheard of,” said Herdman, as reported by The Globe and Mail. “I think a lot of our players have built credibility.

“As a collective group, they performed well together, but there were certainly some strong individual performances throughout the tournament.”

Tajon Buchanan attracting interest?

Winger Tajon Buchanan is one such player who enjoyed a successful tournament. The 23-year-old shone for Canada, despite the nation losing all of their World Cup games.

He started all three games on the right-hand side, with his mazy dribbles and dangerous attacks striking fear into some of the game’s top defenders. Herdman noted that the World Cup was “a real breakout tournament for that young man.”

Buchanan is already playing in Europe for Belgian side Club Brugge, and has been a regular in their memorable Champions League campaign so far.

Canada

Canada taking big steps towards 2026 World Cup

Herdman believes his side are well on their way to having a memorable 2026 World Cup, a competition which will be co-hosted by Canada, alongside neighbours Mexico and the USA.

“I’ve got a feeling we’ve got a chance now of pushing more players to that Tier 1 level,” said Herdman. “And that’s a critical step for Canada.

“We keep pushing players into those environments where they’re getting Champions League, Europa League experiences.

“So there are some big steps being taken. The players’ performances and the team’s performances that will set us up for a real solid World Cup in 2026.”

Striker Jonathan David, currently playing for Ligue 1 outfit Lille, is another exciting player who could soon be on the move. The 22-year-old, who has nine goals for Lille this season, is reportedly being chased by Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United.

He featured in all three of Canada’s 2022 World Cup matches, and certainly caught the eye despite failing to find the back of the net.


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