John Herdman, a native of England, has stepped down from his position as head coach of the Canadian national men’s football team.
Beginning on October 1st, the 48-year-old will take over as the next head coach of Major League Soccer club Toronto FC.
Herdman took over as head coach of Canada in January 2018, and he led the country to its first berth in the World Cup in 36 years, which occurred in 2018.
“I’m excited to start this new opportunity with Toronto FC,” he added. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” “A brand new test should be taken on at this juncture.”
The Toronto FC are currently last in the MLS table, and they fired their former head coach Bob Bradley back in June.
“The structure of a club environment is a context I’ve aspired to operate in,” continued Herdman, who was born and raised in Consett.
Formerly the head coach of Canada’s women’s national team, he guided the squad to bronze medals at the Olympic Games in both 2012 and 2016, as well as a run all the way to the quarterfinals of the 2015 Women’s World Cup on Canadian territory.
Additionally, from 2006 until 2011, Herdman served as the head coach of the New Zealand women’s national team.
“I arrived in Canada in 2011 with the goal of changing the game in our country,” he stated. “I am currently working toward that goal.”
“Leaving the game in a better place was always the goal, and I’m confident that goal has been achieved for Canada,” he said. “[T]he goal was always to leave the game in a better place.”
As the hunt for a new coach gets underway, Herdman’s assistant, Mauro Biello, will take over as interim manager for Canada. Canada, together with Mexico and the United States, will be co-hosting the next men’s World Cup. The tournament will take place in 2019.
