From standing on his head against European giants to training in Basseterre with his national team, Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan has led by example for club and country.
Borjan was not in Canada’s squad to face Dominica last month, but he is back in the fold for Les Rouges and is expected to start against Saint Kitts and Nevis on Sunday.
He returns to the national team for this crucial Concacaf Nations League qualifier after an eventful couple of weeks. The shot-stopper kept a clean sheet in Red Star Belgrade’s 2-0 victory over Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Nov. 6 and helped Red Star earn its 15th victory in 16 games in the Serbian Super Liga.
Juventus product Alessandro Busti made his competitive debut for Canada last month against Dominica in place of Borjan, who is one of the oldest and most-capped members on this squad. However, it’s a point of pride for the veteran goalkeeper.
“I bring a lot of experience to these young kids here,” Borjan told Sportsnet ahead of Sunday’s match.
“I’m always happy to talk to them and to lead them. I feel like one of the leaders who can lead these young kids. After I finish my national team career, hopefully they’re at a stage where they can continue where I left off.
“I’m always happy to come and play for Canada. Canada gave my family a lot and this is a way to return it. With the experience that I bring, I think I bring a lot.”
Busti, 18, is not with the squad in Saint Kitts, as he was in Florida with Canada at the recent Concacaf U-20 Championship. Instead, it’s Simon Thomas and Maxime Crepeau who are in camp with Borjan this time around.
Both Thomas (at Norwegian side Strommen) and Crepeau (with the USL’s Ottawa Fury) played regularly with their clubs, so coach John Herdman has a strong group of goalkeepers at his disposal. That strength in depth also means a strong competition for places, which is a positive for every player, even a veteran such as Borjan.
“We have really good goalkeepers and in every training session, we all fight for the position and it’s up to the coaches to decide who is going to play and who is going to be on the bench,” Borjan said. “For right now, I have a little step ahead of them because of all the experience that I’ve earned throughout my career. But we have an amazing future with the goalkeepers here.”
One crucial aspect to the position, especially in the modern game, is building from the back. Many goalkeepers are asked to be comfortable with the ball at their feet.
Whether it’s Jordan Pickford starting a promising counter-attack for England or Liverpool’s Alisson operating as a secondary deep-lying playmaker, goalkeepers are more involved in the construction of attacks. That is no different with Herdman’s Canada.
“Every goalkeeper has to be involved in the game,” Borjan explained. “Especially when we’re attacking, we have to be right there behind the back four. If the ball goes over them, we have to come out and with the confidence and everything, we have to clear that ball out. John gave us a lot of that confidence and he talks to us all the time, so that’s very good.”
One of Herdman’s ongoing tasks is establishing a first-choice back four. With the trust placed in Borjan and his ever-changing role in the side, it’s imperative that Canada’s defence is settled as quickly as possible.
There are seven months until next year’s Concacaf Gold Cup, where Herdman will face his first major hurdle as coach of the national team. However, with so few matches on the international calendar, the sooner Canada’s ideal starting 11 is formed, the better for the team.
For now, as Canada prepares for its final match of 2018, spots on that back line remain up for grabs.
“We’re collecting information and putting that onto the field,” Borjan said. “There’s always space to progress and improve, but we’re going step by step. Right now, I think we’ve been really good this year. We played four games with John, we’ve conceded zero goals, we didn’t let the teams shoot on goal, so he’s doing an amazing job as a coach.”
Herdman was only hired in January and the appointment was met with skepticism. However, several players have spoken highly of the coaching staff’s tenure thus far. From tactical work to instilling confidence in the team, morale is high at the moment.
Count Borjan as one of those players who has been impressed by Herdman and his staff.
“John brought a lot to this team. He brought a lot to the attack and Canada wasn’t attacking a lot. We were playing more defensively before I joined the national team. He’s training a lot of tactics. He brought energy that was missing here,” Borjan offered.
“We have to know who we’re fighting for and which jersey we are wearing.”
It’s not just the dedication to the attack, though. The work off the pitch is what really caught Borjan’s attention.
“For me, the whole coaching staff, the whole organization, what they’ve brought into the team is just amazing,” Borjan stated.
“It’s another level. They’re 100 per cent into this, which is amazing. They spend every minute working on how the team could improve, working on beating the other teams and just collecting the group in the right way and teaching us in the right way.”
Borjan has experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows in his 39 caps for Canada. His career is quite the story as well. The 31-year-old has played in Argentina, Turkey, Bulgaria and almost everywhere in between.
His story is very common in Canadian soccer. Atiba Hutchinson began his European adventure in Sweden and Julian de Guzman spent time in the 2. Bundesliga until he caught the attention of Bundesliga giants Hannover 96 and La Liga outfit Deportivo La Coruña.
That path is beginning to change for Canadian players, though. Alphonso Davies, Ballou Tabla, Liam Millar, Jonathan David and Cyle Larin were all signed by established first division European clubs at a young age. After Borjan and other veterans blazed a trail, their young teammates are reaping the rewards.
“I think Canadian players grew a lot over the last couple of years,” Borjan stated. “There are a lot of young players right now who are signing with big clubs, like Alphonso. It’s just unbelievable. The kid has unbelievable talent. I think the kid is the next Atiba Hutchinson here. A lot of these players are going to bring a lot for Canada.”
With the implementation of the Canadian Premier League and Major League Soccer growing in stature and quality, it will only lead to more opportunities for Canadians abroad.
“I think in Canada, definitely, the football has been improving a lot,” Borjan explained. “All of these guys are young. They’ve been playing in MLS and Canadian leagues, so Canada is getting bigger and bigger in football and that’s a positive thing about it. All of the younger national teams are making something. They’ve improved a lot the last couple of years.”
The future is encouraging and Borjan is committed to helping the next wave of Canadians, while hopefully succeeding on the pitch simultaneously.
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