1. John Herdman was born on 19 July 1975 and is an English professional football manager widely recognized for his contributions to Canadian soccer.
23 Facts About John Herdman
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John Herdman is the only coach to have led both a women's and men's national team from the same country to a FIFA World Cup.
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John Herdman then transitioned to the men's program, where he led Canada to its first FIFA World Cup appearance in 36 years in 2022, and oversaw a significant rise in international competitiveness and ranking.
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John Herdman helped elevate the profile of Canadian soccer at home and abroad, laying foundational groundwork ahead of the country's co-hosting of the 2026 World Cup.
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John Herdman began coaching football at a young age in England, while he was a student and part-time university lecturer at Northumbria University.
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John Herdman was a development coach for Sunderland's youth academy until 2001, when he moved to New Zealand.
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John Herdman arrived in New Zealand and joined the national association football programme in 2003, initially acting as Coach Education Manager and later as the Director of Football Development.
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John Herdman was head coach for the New Zealand women's national football team from 2006 to 2011.
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John Herdman guided the senior squad to the FIFA Women's World Cups in 2007 and 2011 as well as the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
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John Herdman took over for the Canada women's national soccer team in 2011 from Carolina Morace after Canada finished last in their 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup group.
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John Herdman guided the team through the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament in Vancouver, Canada, securing one of two qualifying spots for the 2012 Olympic Games in London that summer.
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The London Olympics had a significant legacy for the women's national team, elevating both its profile and that of both captain Christine Sinclair and John Herdman, and helping to make Canada a rare instance where the women's team enjoyed significantly greater visibility than the men's team.
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In 2015, John Herdman gave a TED Talk, sharing the lessons learned from the team's 2012 Olympic performance.
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John Herdman guided the host nation Canada to first in its group, recording a win against China, a draw with New Zealand, and a draw with the Netherlands.
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On 8 January 2018, John Herdman was named head coach of the Canada men's national soccer team.
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John Herdman " becomes men's national director, with responsibility for all age groups from under-14s upward".
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John Herdman helped reshape the national team's culture, instilling belief, resilience and a competitive edge that challenged outdated perceptions of Canadian soccer.
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On 28 August 2023, it was announced that John Herdman would depart the Canadian national team to take charge of MLS team Toronto FC, effective 1 October.
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John Herdman is widely regarded as a central figure in the transformation of Canadian soccer in the 2010s and early 2020s.
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John Herdman's leadership laid the groundwork for Canada's return to the World Cup stage, but helped redefine what's possible for Canadian football going forward.
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John Herdman has been instrumental in supporting the development of former female players into coaches and sports executives.
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Beyond his coaching roles, John Herdman has been an analyst and speaker:.
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John Herdman is married to his childhood sweetheart, Clare, and has two children: Lilly and Jay.