He’s won three cups with St Johnstone.
He’s perfected a skill that has its own name and a formidable back catalogue.
And he’s helped secure Canada’s World Cup qualification for the first time in 36 years.
But, in the career of David Wotherspoon, going to Qatar 2022 would top the lot.
The injured Saints midfielder was flown out to Toronto for the weekend Concacaf group game against Jamaica which, as expected, booked Canada their ticket to November’s finals.
It was an ‘I was there’ occasion for Canadian sport, the magnitude of which has fuelled Wotherspoon’s determination to get back to full fitness after his winter ACL surgery and earn a place in John Herdman’s World Cup squad thereafter.
“I’ve kept in touch with the Canada physio every two or three weeks since the operation,” said Wotherspoon, who flew back to Scotland on Tuesday.
“We had talked about possibly going over for a camp.
“It was great when they invited me to be part of it. I felt honoured and privileged to be included.
Some friendly faces pitch side 🍁❤️#CANMNT #ForCanada #WCQ pic.twitter.com/0ZSS5p5XPi
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 27, 2022
“I’m very grateful for all the support I have been shown by Canada since the injury. I really do appreciate it.
“It would be the pinnacle of my career if I could be part of a World Cup squad.
“It’s something I am definitely targeting.
“You grow up as kid watching World Cups and dreaming of being part of it.
“The first I remember was France ‘98 when I was only eight, seeing Colin Hendry leading out Scotland against Brazil. That was incredible.”
Surreal like the Saints double
Wotherspoon, who was a Scotland under-21 regular before he switched to the country his mother was born in for international football, drew a parallel between Saints’ double and Canada’s drought-ending qualification.
“We knew we needed only a draw so we were confident,” he said.
“But nothing prepared us for the reaction when we got over the line.
“It was surreal – a bit like when St Johnstone won the two cups last season I suppose.
“You have to live in the moment and just enjoy being part of it all.
“It is something that will stay with me forever. I’ll be telling my kids and grandchildren about it.
“It was an amazing experience to be part of and be embraced by everyone.
“I went down to the dug-out for the final few minutes to get on the pitch and be part of the celebrations.
“But because of the injury I certainly wasn’t jumping around!”
Hype growing for the finals
The rise of the Canadian men’s team has been stunning over the last few years, aided by the emergence of some world class players like Bayern Munch’s Alphonso Davies.
Many are talking up Les Rouges as serious contenders to advance deep into the tournament’s knockout stages.
“I have got 10 caps since I first joined the squad in 2018,” said Wotherspoon. “There wasn’t much hype about the team back then.
“I feel I’m very much part of it every time I come into a camp.
“I was excited but a bit nervous coming into this one because I am injured. But it felt like I had never been away. They were all so welcoming.
“There was a gathering after the game with the players, friends and family. Unfortunately, I couldn’t bring my own family across.
“Qualifying for the World Cup finals is massive for the country. It has caught the imagination and brought everyone together.
“It is turning Canada into a soccer nation with all the attention it is bringing to the game.
“There was close to 30,000 at the game, which was a record. The place was bouncing.
“Just walking down the street in the Canada tracksuit you get an amazing response from people. Everyone is taking notice of what has been achieved.”
⚽️🍁🏀#CANMNT x @Raptors pic.twitter.com/AFF7tz9Zvz
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 28, 2022
Wotherspoon added: “It has been a long haul, in a group of eight playing home and away. There were qualifiers before that just to get into the group stage.
“Mexico and the USA probably started as favourites based on the rankings.
“We knew they were the ones to beat and we aimed to do just that.
“We had done well against them in the past and we felt we could put a spanner in the works.
“That was the mentality we went in with and now we have achieved something special.
“We have players playing for big clubs around the world and we have to clock-up the air miles to play for Canada.
“But everyone has bought into it. We are all committed to the cause.
“There have been a lot of sacrifices made, for everyone involved, especially during the pandemic.
“Our families have been so supportive with being away from home so often.
“But those sacrifices have been totally worth it.”
