Charlie Trafford was fast asleep in his bed in Finland this past Monday when his phone rang at 1:00 am.
It was Canada Soccer on the line. Montreal Impact midfielder Kyle Bekker picked up an injury and pulled out of the senior men’s team training camp in Orlando. They wanted to see if Trafford, a midfielder with Kuopion Palloseura (or KuPS) in the Finnish first division, would be interested in taking Bekker’s place as Canada prepares to take on Ghana in a friendly next Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
After taking a minute or two to fully understand the offer being made—it was 1:00 am, after all—he threw some things together in a bag and headed for the airport later that morning, boarding a plane for Florida where he arrived on Tuesday and began training with his new Canadian teammates.
That’s the story of how Trafford, a 23-year-old native of Calgary, earned his first call-up to Canada’s senior team.
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“I spoke to Morgan Quarry (from Canada Soccer); we had a quick chat, and he presented this opportunity to me, and said if I wanted to come they could put me on a flight in the next few hours. I was so excited that I didn’t sleep the rest of the night. It was a ridiculous 24 hours,” Trafford told Sportsnet.
“I’m excited and I realize it’s a big honour, and I’m really enjoying it. But I don’t think I’ve fully taken it in.”
The timing of the call caught him off-guard. But Trafford wasn’t entirely surprised about being selected to play for Canada.
“I’ve had a few talks with them before, so I knew I was on their radar. You can’t predict something like this. I wasn’t sitting at home in Finland saying they’re going to call me now. But it was still a pretty big shock, even though I knew I was getting close because you never know how and when it will happen. I wasn’t trying to think about it too much, and just letting it take care of itself. In the end it did,” Trafford said.
If all goes well, he’ll earn his first cap against Ghana—an incredible feat for a young player who’s bounced around and seen quite a bit of the world.
Trafford is a former member of the Vancouver Whitecaps residency program. He later played at York University before joining Dutch club De Graafschap. Trafford then made the move to Finland, where his cousin Mason Trafford (who has one cap to his credit and currently plays with the NASL’s Ottawa Fury) arranged for him to sign with IFK Mariehamn. Trafford has also featured for TPS while in Finland, and was named KuPS’s player of the year for 2014.
When Canada Soccer reached out to Trafford about joining the camp, he called his cousin Mason to let him know the good news.
“As soon as I got the call, he was one of the first people I spoke with. Since the beginning of my career he’s helped me out a lot and got me my shot in Finland. I always turn to him for advice. I’ve watched what he’s done and looked to him as an example, so that’s helped to take off a bit of the pressure and lessen the shock for me at this camp,” Trafford explained.
Trafford and his cousin are not the only Canadians to have played in Finland. Others have included Nana Attakora, David Monsalve, Randy Edwini-Bonsu and Tosaint Ricketts. The weather, culture and lifestyle are similar to Canada, according to Trafford, making it easier for Canadian players to make the transition.
While not one of Europe’s top leagues, the Finnish first division can provide hungry, young players an opportunity to cut their teeth.
“It’s a very good stepping-stone league. The level is decent. I’m not going to boost it up and say it’s amazing. But it’s a league with a lot of turnover; teams will clear house every year, so they’re always looking to bring in new players. It gives players a chance to get their foot in the door, show themselves off and then earn an opportunity to go elsewhere in Europe,” Trafford said.
That’s the position Trafford finds himself in after spending two years in Finland. His current contract is up at the end of this season, and he’s looking to move on. He also hopes that this call-up by Canada will the draw attention of other clubs.
“I play every week in Finland, and it’s been an incredible experience. But I’m looking to move on and explore my options. I’m ready to take the next step,” Trafford admitted.
As for next week’s friendly against Ghana, Trafford hasn’t received any indication from the coaching staff if he’ll see any action.
“It’ll be huge if I do. Since I was a kid, I dreamed of this. I used to watch Canada games on TV as a kid, so that’s always been my dream. It’s a huge honour. I’m really proud and excited about this, so if I play next week it’ll be a dream a come true,” Trafford stated.