Coming into his own

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis -- Seeking refuge from the blistering sun, David Edgar finds a cool patch of shade up against a stadium wall and takes a long swig from his water bottle.

He's exhausted and drenched in perspiration, gasping for breath after being put through his paces by Canadian national team coach Stephen Hart during a lengthy training session. From a distance, it looks as though all he wants to do is hop on the air-conditioned team bus and head back to the hotel.

But then he's up again, horsing around with other players on the sidelines, and collecting stray balls from the field before the team packs up. Despite the hot and humid conditions, Edgar appears to be just one of the guys and a valued member of the Canadian national team.

It wasn't always so for Edgar.

A 24-old native of Kitchener, Ont., Edgar shot to fame when he broke through at Newcastle United during the 2006-07 Premiership season, including scoring a spectacular long-range goal in a 2-2 draw against Manchester United.

The defender was pegged for greatness after that moment, with expectations running high that he would lead Canada to a respectable run at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. Instead, the Canadian team faltered on home soil, losing all three of its games and bowed out in the first round.

That marked a turning point in Edgar's career. He struggled for playing time at Newcastle, dogged by a poor run of form and injury problems. He transferred to Burnley, but again saw limited playing time. All the while he failed to make a single appearance for the Canadian national team.

Only after a successful loan period at Swansea City and a return to Burnley where he began to show consistent form did he finally get a chance to represent his country at senior level. Edgar earned his first cap in a friendly against Greece on Feb. 9, 2011, and has become a semi-regular for Canada since, including starting in the team's last three World Cup qualifying matches.

It's been a long time and coming, but David Edgar is finally living up to his potential, and he owes it all to staying focused on fighting to earn a regular spot with Burnley.

"I wasn't being selected [to play for Canada] because I wasn't playing regularly over in England. That's the main thing, you need to be playing regularly," Edgar told Sportsnet. "Now that I'm doing that over there, I'm getting my call-ups here. The two go hand in hand. I'm feeling good about it."

Edgar has looked impressive in his five games for his country, helping Canada record three consecutive shutouts in World Cup qualification. His performances have not gone unnoticed by Hart, who took Edgar aside last year for a one-on-one talk, hoping to motivate him. Hart's personal approach appears to have worked wonders.

"We sat down and had a long chat. I told him the door is open for him to come in and show that he can and should be picked for Canada," Hart recalled. "I think he took it seriously and he's not only brought a certain technical element to the defence with some of the veterans missing, but the way he controls the line is very impressive."

Edgar has also shown a bit of versatility for Canada, playing as a stay at home central defender, as well as an attacking right fullback. When playing on the right side, he has demonstrated a willingness to fly down the wing and has been able to deliver some dangerous crosses into the box, adding some width and punch to Canada's attack.

"I like to have the ball at my feet. That's Stephen's philosophy - he wants everyone to be comfortable on the ball. I like to play the ball short and long. I've played in midfield in the past, so I'm comfortable doing that," Edgar said of his exploits at right back.

Still, central defence is his natural position, and that's where he'll play against St Kitts in Friday's World Cup qualifier, a game Canada only needs to tie in order to advance to the next round.

With veteran Kevin McKenna injured and Andrew Hainault playing with his MLS team, Hart more than ever needs Edgar to marshal the defence from his natural position in the middle

"It's no secret that we're looking for someone to take over that right full back position," Hart admitted. "But he won't be used there for this game; I don't think I can afford it at this moment. "