Interview with Canadian Soccer Icon: Iain Hume

Hi Everyone, Jack here!

Today, I'm ecstatic because the interview we are releasing is Part 1 with Canadian soccer icon, Iain Hume!

This blog post is specifically about the content of Part 1 of the interview.

Now, before I jump into it, if you don't already, be sure to follow Iain on Twitter and Instagram.

The Interview

When we reached out to Iain for an interview I was very nervous. I was HOPING he would join us on the show because I had wanted to chat with him for a very long time. Imagine my thrill when he obliged!

Getting the opportunity to chat with Iain, a Canadian striker with an unbelievable career playing not only for his country but clubs like:

• Leicester City
• Barnsley
• Kerala Blasters FC
• Atletico de Kolkata

has been a highlight for me here with CPLFever and in my life in general!

During this 2-hour interview (which is being released in 2 parts) we had the privilege to go in-depth into all of Iain's experiences! Iain has incredible knowledge and perspective on the game and this is a definite must-listen-to interview.

The Beginning…

Iain who was born in Scotland but came to Canada when he was very young has had such an incredible football career. During the interview, his longstanding passion for the beautiful game is evident.

We start with his upbringing, his family's love for football (but his initial love for baseball!), and how he and his brother started kicking the ball around at a very young age.

One of my favourite stories is how his father worked with him on his weak foot as soon as identified Iain's strong foot. Iain spent countless practice sessions only being able to use his weak foot which is undoubtedly responsible for him being able to score so many goals with both feet.

What We Cover…

As I mentioned before, it was a 2-hour interview and so we covered so many interesting aspects of Iain's life and career. One of those very interesting experiences was his time in the Indian Super League.

Iain said he really enjoyed the culture in India. He shared how it was to join a brand new league, the support of the fans, and how they were all so supportive and great to the players. He also shared with us his observations on the similarities and differences between Canadian and Indian soccer.

We also made our way into chatting about the Canadian Premier League and how much he has enjoyed watching the CPL grow with each year. I then asked Iain about which players he loves watching in the CPL, so be sure to listen for that!

Hunger, Tenacity, A Desire…

This interview would also not be complete without Iain talking about how he became such a prolific striker and the hunger, desire, and tenacity you need to become one.

Check out some of his goals below. One of my personal favourites is a beautiful strike from outside the box in 0:57 of this video!

Iain then highlights the different types of strikers which was a very eye-opening conversation.

On a side note, this is a funny story, but I do believe that in talking to Iain some of his attacking tenacity rubbed off on me!   

I haven't even told Iain yet but I mainly play as an inverted winger or in the middle as a CAM on my teams. My biggest contributions to the team are my assists and the number of chances I create. I can thread the needle. I can play a through ball through the tightest defenses, but I'm not the top goalscorer of my team, but ever since I talked to Iain I have scored in pretty much every 11 a side game I have played with my academy, even a hat trick! I have a few goals to my name now which is cool to see, so thank you, Iain!

So if you are a forward reading this, make sure to watch with full focus and attention because Iain provides so much insight into the game that I know you'll learn something that will improve your game.

I made sure I left a mark. I made sure you knew I was playing against you, even if you beat me you knew after 90 minutes you earned that…You have to have a bite to your game.

Iain Hume

Iain's Thoughts on The Canadian National Team

In this full hour, we also covered the current National Team.

We asked Iain about the winning mentality that the group now has, and how in the past the expectation was to lose against stronger teams like Costa Rica and Honduras just because we were Canadian. Times are different now, and Iain explains how we now have the skills and mentality to compete and win against those big teams in the Concacaf region.

We also talk specifically about his time on the national team when he was coached by Stephen Hart. He shares some interesting insights about playing for Stephen and what it's like to play for your country.   

Plus, we also get into some more topics like the media, being on the OneSoccer panel, and many more insights in Part 2, so stay tuned for that over the next couple of days!

Final Thoughts

Talking with Iain was such an enjoyable experience. The interview with him has been one of my favorites by far!

Be sure to check it out and below is the timestamp, which is clickable on YouTube.

Enjoy this interview and stay tuned for Part 2 dropping in a couple of days!

Iain Hume Interview Timestamp

0:00:43 Welcome Iain!
0:04:55 Working on your weak foot discussion.
0:07:35 Did you watch a lot of soccer growing up? Tips for learning and reading the game?
0:10:33 Why has Canada traditionally been behind in their soccer development versus other countries? Not part of the culture? Coaching?
0:15:53 Atletico Madrid discussion
0:21:01 How do younger teams in the CPL benefit from the experience? What could someone with your experience bring to those teams?
0:26:00 How did your experience with the Indian Super League come about?
0:34:31 How did you get involved with OneSoccer?
0:38:57 Who are some of the players in the CPL and on the Canadian National Team that you like to watch?
0:42:12 What are the advantages of being a smaller striker?
0:45:18 Discussion about being an impact sub.
0:48:20 Canadian Men's National Team.

Part 2

Timestamp

0:00:00 Leicester discussion
0:05:12 EPL Chat
0:07:33 A chat about Wolverhampton Wanderers
0:11:35 What was it like playing in and against Spain?
0:16:03 How long did it take for you to adapt to the Spanish lifestyle, and also the way of playing in Spain?
0:23:00 Choosing a team.
0:25:25 How difficult is it to retire?
0:29:46 Coaching @iainhumelimitlesscoaching
0:34:05 Skull fracture injury
0:40:00 Injury recovery
0:46:16 Rapid Fire Questions
0:56:57 Final Thoughts