Ask supporters of Canada’s national team to describe midfield stalwart Atiba Hutchinson in one word, and you’re likely to hear one response over and over: Consistent.
Over the past decade, the 31-year-old has arguably been Canada’s most consistent impact player. As his career has taken him from a Champions League appearance with FC Copenhagen to three solid years with PSV Eindhoven to a starring role with his current club, Turkish powerhouse Besiktas, he’s also been a crucial part of nearly every game he’s played for his national team.
And as he prepares for his next Canadian cap – in Tuesday’s friendly against Jamaica at BMO Field (7:30 pm ET, Sportsnet One in Canada) – he’s approaching the game just like any other.
“I love to represent my country every chance I get, whether it’s a friendly or not,” he told MLSsoccer.com over the phone on Friday. “As long as I’m not struggling with any injuries, I’ll do everything to be part of [the team].”
Hutchinson will be one of Canada’s key players as the team looks to end an ugly 16-game winless streak in international play. After 12 months spent identifying his key players, head coach Benito Floro has named a veteran-heavy lineup for the Jamaica match, in the hopes of finally breaking through with a victory.
“It’s extremely important for us to start getting those results because we need that confidence,” said Hutchinson. “That’s what we need, and for everything to feed off of that as we move forward, especially going towards the Gold Cup and then [World Cup] qualifying.”
While Canada’s roster is a reunion of sorts for core veterans such as Hutchinson, Dwayne De Rosario, Julian de Guzman and Patrice Bernier, it also features highly-touted youngsters such as Doneil Henry, Karl Ouimette and Jeremy Gagnon-Laparé. And though the next generation could surely learn plenty from Hutchinson’s successful career and dedication to his national team, the soft-spoken midfielder isn’t keen on giving the youngsters any speeches.
“I know now I’m a bit older and I should be a little bit more of a leader, and I’ve tried to be as vocal as I can – which, sometimes, maybe isn’t enough,” said Hutchinson. “But I just try to lead by example by working hard, and hopefully the players can feed off of that, the younger ones especially.”
Indeed, Hutchinson’s play has done the talking for him throughout his career, most recently in a Champions League play-off between Besiktas and Arsenal. Though Hutchinson’s club fell just short, the Canadian earned high praise from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger afterwards.
“It’s a good feeling for such a big coach to give you a compliment,” said Hutchinson. “Although we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, it’s a very good compliment.”
Missing out on the Champions League isn’t likely to dull Hutchinson’s efforts with Besiktas; likewise, a number of failed World Cup qualifying campaigns isn’t dampening his spirit about representing his national team. He hopes the home crowd in Toronto will bring similar enthusiasm to Tuesday’s matchup.
“In every situation, the home support is huge for the players,” he said. “Throughout the last qualifying cycle we had very good results at home. So I think it’s a motivation for us, to go back home to play.”
And as Canada looks to turn the page after an ugly 18-month span, Hutchinson is motivated not just by the prospect of playing in front of an appreciative home crowd, but the possibility of helping his country finally get back to the World Cup.
“It’s been in my thoughts,” said Hutchinson, who’ll be 35 by the time Russia 2018 rolls around. “I’d like to go as long as I can, and hope that I’ll be healthy and fit enough when the time comes around and we start getting closer to the Hex and see how far we can go.”
But first, Hutchinson’s focus will be where it always is – on giving full effort to his next game.
“For me, it’s very big and it’s always important to show up and give my best.”
