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Tommy Wheeldon Jr. is on the quick checklist for the vacant Canada Soccer males’s head-coaching place, Postmedia has discovered.
So what would it not take for the town’s footie guru to go away Calgary and Cavalry FC?
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Maybe solely that coveted gig — and no different — as head coach of the nationwide senior males’s squad.
“I feel that’s a dream job,” mentioned Cavalry’s gaffer, refusing to substantiate that he’s on the nationwide physique’s radar to exchange John Herdman, who left Canada’s high males’s group over a 12 months in the past to tackle head-coaching duties with Main League Soccer’s Toronto FC.
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“I feel it must be an absolute honour for anyone to be related to main the Canadian nationwide group, particularly with the 2026 World Cup upon us,” continued Wheeldon. “And I feel the person who takes that position goes to be blessed with a technology of expertise that’s coming by way of and a passionate Canadian supporters scene that you simply see increasing from coast to coast while additionally being accountable to encourage the following technology to make sure we’ve got extra of those experiences.”
Phrase is the quick checklist of candidates, which undoubtedly consists of 44-year-old Wheeldon, additionally options fellow CPL savant Bobby Smyrniotis of Forge FC and former France famous person and ex-Montreal Affect coach Thierry Henry.
Callum Vurley of talkSPORT.com reported Tuesday that former English worldwide and twice-Chelsea gaffer Frank Lampard has taken himself out of the operating for the publish after being declared “a shock candidate for the place.”
The nationwide group’s present interim supervisor, Mauro Biello — additionally a earlier Affect coach — is taken into account the front-runner and has made it clear he desires the job. Canada’s former assistant has coached the squad since Herdman’s departure and has led the nation’s crew into the CONMEBOL Copa América, starting in late June in america.
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All this buzz comes amid Wheeldon’s transfer to re-sign with Cavalry for an additional three seasons.
The Calgary membership made that dedication forward of the Canadian Premier League marketing campaign, which continues Saturday for Cavalry (0-1) in opposition to host Atlético Ottawa (1-0) at TD Place (midday MT, OneSoccer, OneSoccer.ca).
“Many issues in skilled sports activities are troublesome, working alongside Tommy Wheeldon Jr. will not be,” mentioned Cavalry president Ian Allison. “Having Tommy proceed to guide our membership was a simple choice. Tommy is a part of Cavalry FC’s DNA and has been since we first began this journey in 2018.
“His success on the pitch is clear,” continued Allison. “He has recruited, mentored and coached greater than 100 gamers, coaches and help personnel by way of our system, and we’re delighted that he shall be doing so for a minimum of the following three years. His perception within the sport, this group, within the Canadian Premier League and in our membership’s values, targets and aims align completely. We’re delighted he’ll proceed to play a significant position in subsequent chapters in Cavalry FC historical past.”
As is Wheeldon if ‘a dream job’ doesn’t materialize.
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And people are few and much between, he says.
Not even a doable appointment with hometown Everton F.C. of the English Premier League would doubtless take him away from Calgary.
“It might take lots to go away,” admitted Wheeldon. “I really feel related to the supporters. I’ve watched the Footsoldiers develop exponentially, together with the relationships I’ve to most of the individuals on this nice metropolis. I really feel related to the imaginative and prescient of our (Spruce Meadows) possession — Linda Southern-Heathcott, specifically, and Ian Allison — who accomplish that a lot for our group and past. I really feel related to the gamers whose alternatives we’ve given and seen the likes of Sergio Camargo and Marco Carducci nonetheless right here, too, as founding gamers and guys like Charlie Trafford, Willy Akio and Brad Kamdem return dwelling to Calgary to be part of this journey. I feel that’s what you’re all the time making an attempt to do is give alternatives to gamers, and we’ve seen that out of your Mo Farsis, Victor Loturis, Aribim Pepples, Dominick Zators, Joel Watermans …
“I’ve seen Leon Hapgood go on and transfer on to be the assistant coach at New York Metropolis, after having helped me construct this membership, to Nick Ledgerwood — my first-ever signing who’s now our assistant coach. And Jay Wheeldon, my brother, additionally performed for us and now coaches with me. Mason Trafford, Oliver Minatel, Tofa Fakunle are all guys which have worn the purple of our shirt and at the moment are working to assist develop the membership.
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“I feel that’s what makes this membership so cool is the idea in paying it ahead, in order that you recognize as soon as we blazed the path, supporters have one thing in 10, 15, 20 years for his or her youngsters and their grandkids. And I feel that’s our mission is to verify we’re sustainable, make sure that we’re profitable and ensure we’re right here to remain.”
It’s a path he began with a imaginative and prescient just a few many years again, after making an attempt to make it as knowledgeable participant with the Calgary Storm — coached by his father, Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
The genesis of Cavalry got here with assist alongside the way in which from the likes of Hapgood, Danny Hay and Mike Mikuska, who helped construct the pro-am arm of Calgary Foothills FC to compete within the USL PDL again in 2015, which caught the eye of the Southerns — the founding household of Spruce Meadows Sports activities & Leisure, the membership’s proprietor.
And from it has sprung an entity that fills Wheeldon with satisfaction.
“Yeah … I’m honoured to have the ability to signify this soccer membership and this metropolis,” added Wheeldon. “I’ve obtained a terrific affection for the town of Calgary and the encompassing areas, as a result of I’ve spent half my life right here. Got here in 2002 to present it a crack at enjoying some skilled soccer on this facet of the world and fell in love with the place and the individuals. My spouse, Veronica, and youngsters Beaux, Tatum and Jax are right here from Calgary, and Calgary is my dwelling and the place my coronary heart is.
“It’s such a terrific journey that we’re on now. I’m grateful to have an possession group like that Southern household that imagine of their group and making a distinction not solely simply nationally however globally, they usually’re straightforward issues to align with.
“And for such a brief historical past, we’ve carried out so effectively. However we’ve additionally obtained lots but to attempt for, and that’s what retains me hungry and, therefore, why I’ve penned one other deal for 3 extra years.”
tsaelhof@postmedia.com
www.x.com/ToddSaelhofPM
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