Jebbison’s recruitment bodes well for future of Canadian men’s team

It took some time, but the Canadian men’s team finally got its man when forward Daniel Jebbison recently pledged his international allegiance to the program. 

Jebbison, 21, earned his first cap for Canada in Thursday’s 1-0 loss to Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals in Los Angeles when he came off the bench in the 79th minute.  

Although he didn’t have much of a chance to influence matters, you could tell from his limited time on the pitch that he’s bound to be a key contributor for Canada for years to come. He might get more playing time in Sunday’s third-place match vs. the United States. 

Jebbison has entered the fray at an interesting time as the national team is flush with options up front.  

All-time top scorer Jonathan David (31 goals for Canada) is one of the hottest young strikers in the world and is bound to leave modest French club Lille OSC this summer on a big-money transfer for one of Europe’s elite sides. Cyle Larin plays for Spanish outfit Mallorca and has 30 international goals. A trio of talented youngsters in Tani Oluwaseyi (Minnesota United), Jacen Russell-Rowe (Columbus Crew) and Kwasi Poku (R.W.D. Molenbeek) are also in the mix. 

Yet, Jebbison, who plays in the English Premier League with Bournemouth, is confident in breaking through the logjam at the forward position and establishing himself for Canada. 

“I have no doubt I will be [the forward] for this country soon. And I say that confidently, not in an arrogant way, just because I know what I could offer, and I know where I stand. And all I’m gonna say is I’m gonna do everything I can to get that starting spot … I know the talent that I have, and I know I can do very well,” Jebbison told Sportsnet in the buildup to the Mexico game.  

He added: “I just believe in myself. I wouldn’t be playing in the Premier League if I wasn’t. All the players here are playing at first-team level, and they’re here for a reason.”

Although born in Oakville, Ont., Jebbison and his family moved to England when was a teenager. While there, he was spotted by Sheffield United and he joined the team’s youth academy after a successful trial. He slowly worked his way up through the ranks and made his debut for Sheffield off the bench on May 8, 2021, in a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace. Eight days later he made Premier League history by becoming the youngest player (at 17 years and 309 days) to score in his first start in a 1-0 win at Everton.

Stints in the Championship (England’s second division) with Sheffield followed, as did loans to other clubs, before signing last summer with Bournemouth where he has scored two goals in 13 games in all competitions. 

At the same time, Jebbison represented England at youth level, playing at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He was also a member of the English team that won the 2022 U-19 European Championship. Jebbison qualified for England through his mother. 

Because he hadn’t played for England at senior level, the door was still open for the Canadian men’s team. Canada’s pursuit of Jebbison began under former coach John Herdman, but it was current bench boss Jesse Marsch who convinced the Bournemouth forward to file a one-time switch with FIFA and represent his birth country at international level. 

“Jesse had a very influential part of it. He was speaking to me and was taking time out of his day to not convince me, but just to give me a picture of what Canada will be like in a couple of years,” Jebbison said. 

“That’s what I really latched onto, because the potential of this team is scary. We are so young. We are such an athletic team, and to be so fast and athletic, that’s a gift. So, what we have is something that other teams don’t have. It’s as simple as that, and just the structure and the investments [Canada Soccer] is making really helped me pick them.” 

Rather than employing hard sell tactics, Marsch took a different approach in convincing Jebbison to choose Canada, focusing on how he could help the team as opposed to how the team could help him. 

“That’s what I liked. I don’t want someone telling me, ‘Come here, come here, come here.’ There was no pressure. He dealt with it in a good way,” Jebbison explained. 

Part of Marsch’s tactics was sending him a video to watch produced by Canada Soccer that highlighted the team’s young players in action and how he would fit in. The video also contained messages from several national team members, including captain Alphonso Davies.  

“They weren’t trying to convince me to play for Canada. They were just saying who they are, how good the group is, and that I’d be welcomed into the team. That was very nice. Little things like that made me want to come here,” Jebbison explained.

The lure of playing on home soil at next summer’s FIFA World Cup was a part in Jebbison’s decision to play for Canada, as did the sober realization that opportunities with England at senior level probably weren’t going to come his way. 

“England is so complex. England is the best place for football. They have so many strikers that are world-class who get in the national team at such a young age. So, you need to be playing every single week at club level and scoring every single week to be in that team. I’m not there yet. It’s as simple as that, and I needed to accept that,” Jebbison said. 

Canada might not have been his first choice, but playing for Les Rouges was something he’d always thought about as a kid. In 2017, he attended a Canada vs. Jamaica match at Toronto’s BMO Field and dreamed of playing on that pitch one day.  

“I thought the England team would be the best for me when I was younger. Now, I’m 21. I’m still very young, but I’ve been playing first-team [club] football for quite a while now. So, I thought it’s no pressure, but now it’s time to go; it’s time to go with Canada,” Jebbison said. 

Having previously coached in England at Leeds United, Marsch crossed paths with Jebbison and could see his potential. 

At six-foot-three-inches, Jebbison offers a physical presence up front for Bournemouth. But he’s remarkably agile and has solid technical skills for someone his size, possessing the ability to score with both feet. 

“Daniel has massive potential, we can see that,” Marsch said. “He’s still a little raw and developing into the potential of what he can be. But his mentality [and willingness] to learn, grow and push to be part of this national team are all at a really high level, and I’m super excited to get him involved.” 

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