Interview with Vancouver Whitecaps' Terry Dunfield

Terry Dunfield, Canada and Vancouver Whitecaps

By Umbro with input from Arjun Datta

How did you first get into soccer?

Through my old man when I was five or six.  I never got into hockey so as soon as I started playing soccer I was hooked and every year I enjoyed it more and more.  For the last 20 years, I’ve been carrying a soccer ball with me

Did he play?

Yeah he played in the Vancouver League.

Was he good?

(Laughs) Yeah he was all heart didn’t quite have a lot of pace, we are probably similar.  We watched Soccer Saturdays together, we’d go to the practices together and it was father and son bonding.

So, I grew up playing for Point Grey and then moved onto Vancouver, was a provincial team and then got swooped up.  I started a little bit younger with the provincial team, player 3 summers with them, with one of the Vancouver teams we fundraised for a trip to England and played in the kilt classic in Stoke where I got scouted by Manchester City and got offered to stay on.  I went to Grade 8 knowing I would be going back.  I went over at 14, went back at 15, and was told they would like to keep me for a while.  I never thought I'd spend 13 years there, in England.

Your coaches growing up?

Colin Elms and Terry Jarvis.

That young eh?

Yeah.

Did you always want to be a professional player?

Yeah, since I started at 5, I always wanted to do that and with a little bit of luck have been able to become that.  Mostly for just the love of the game really, I never was interested in the fame and fortune, just loved playing and even when the game finished I still wanted to go play after, never could get enough of it.  I feel privileged and lucky to be able to play soccer everyday.

You still have that kind of enthusiasm - you still enjoy it?

(Laughs) Yeah I’ve got a big grin being back home now, even when I was playing in the lower leagues over in England I was loving every minute of it.  The little things like the bus ride and the build-up in the changing rooms and there's no better feeling than winning, especially away from home and going back in the bus and knowing you've won and taken three points from someone.

So I guess your earliest memory playing was when you were five in the backyard with your dad?

My first memory would be just playing with my brother and my old man down at the park, down at Trimble Park in Point Grey.  That was my childhood, I guess.

Were you always a midfielder?

I was too slow to play anywhere else.

In the engine room eh?

I like being in the mix where all the action is.

Do you feel extra pressure playing in your home town?

I think at the moment I am just thriving on it, enjoying being the only local boy.  Fortunately coming home has given me a platform to really show what I can do on a bigger scene with all our games being televised, playing against better players and with better players.  This has led to bigger things, like being selected for Canada.

It means a lot doesn’t it?

Yeah, every time I have pulled on the jersey it's been great and I hope I get an opportunity this month.

You'll be in the Gold Cup for sure?

Yeah.

You’ve played two games how did that go?

No, I think the style of play Stephen Hart coaches has suited me a little bit, he plays with a couple of holding midfielders, we've gotten a win and a draw.  We beat Honduras in Montreal which was a huge result and drawing in Venezuala was a good result.  Playing for Canada, hearing the national anthem gives you a sense of pride and you look over and you got some very talented players around as well.

You played in the Youth World Cup with Paul James right?

Yeah that was a highlight of my career, I guess, captaining the U-20s, although we didn’t get the results, (Laughs) ‘cause we were playing the Iraqi 30 year olds and the Brazil team which was just phenomenally good.  I was fresh from university and I was chasing down Kaka and Adriano around the pitch.  Sheesh! Adriano had just gone to (inter) Milan for $8 million!  What chance did we have! (Laughs)  But that team has now formed the core of the Canadian Men's team with players like Josh Simpson, Rob Friend, Atiba Hutchinson, Julian de Guzman.  We had a strong team.

Who was your keeper?

Good question (laughs)

Doesn't bode well if you can't remember who was on your team...

(laughs) I can’t really remember our back four and keeper but attacking, we were good.

Have you become the tour guide for some of your team mates? 

Yeah, I think all the foreigners and the American boys are loving this city, but we are yet to find any two for one ! (Laughs) but no they’ve taken to the city well, yeah.  They're showing me around it now, if anything...

Well, you're new, back to the scene...

Yeah, it's new, being back but one thing that's been terrific has been the way the city has taken to the Whitecaps.

You've got a whole summer ahead of you, barring any bad weather...

Yeah and moving into the new stadium and competing with the other team, The Vancouver Canucks, who’ve been on fire.   I think it's been really exciting for me and the team.

You've played in England for Man city. Have you noticed any big differences - be it in the style of play or club culture that sets MLS sides apart? Are there any differences between being at man city and Vancouver?

I think at the moment there are more similarities than differences which is a real compliment! They are not cutting any corners, Vancouver has gotten great facilities, a great medical team, excellent coaches and the whole structure is very professional and the performances on the field are gradually getting better.

You must be excited about playing Man City in the summer?

Yeah, I'm excited about playing them in July.  It's been a fairytale for me, getting man city, scoring against Toronto (TFC), getting selected for the Gold Cup squad, captaining the team for part of the season, hopefully winning the Canadian Nutrilite National Championships.

How would you rate the start of the Season for the Whitecaps so far? 

It was a great start to the season.  Everything fell into place, we beat Toronto in the home opener, we looked good and there was lot of vibrant energy and passion around the place.

Do you have a pre-game ritual?

Eating Cheerios! (Laughs) Nothing specific or no sort of superstitions - just try to enjoy the buildup.  I go for a walk for about 30 minutes to try and get my legs going and get my head straight

Who is your favorite footballer? Why?

Back in the day, I liked Nicky Barmby - a little guy at Middlesborough called Juninho, he was good.  Now, Steven Gerrard,  (Cesc) Fabregas and Mikel Arteta.

If you were stranded on an island and could only bring one teammate from with you, who would it be and why?

I'd bring (John) Thorrington as we have a similar background.  It’s funny but he's got a few stories and he tries to enlighten me about different things, he’s my roommate.  We have had similar experiences.  He went over to England, played for that other team in Manchester, the red team or something (Laughs) but couldn’t break into their first team.  He’s gonna be a dad soon, he keeps telling me he’s a good player but I am yet to see it (Laughs)

Do you have any hidden talents besides fly fishing?

Yeah I like fly fishing, tying my own flies and going out fishing.  I like to think I’m a rugged outdoorsman but I’m really not! (Laughs) I like golf but I’m a social golfer but I guess I'm not very good.  Honestly speaking with all the time we play soccer there’s no time to improve (Laughs).

How do you relax when you're not playing soccer?

I like to watch a game a day so I guess I watch a lot of soccer.

If you weren't a professional footballer, what else would you be doing?

I'm coaching a team right now in the lower midland - I like that and am applying for my soccer coaching badges.

Favorites?

Movie:  Shawshank Redemption

Food:  Cheerios (Laughs)

Actor:  Morgan Freeman

Bands:  Kings of Leon or The Killers

Nicknames:  Tez – it’s an English shortening of Terry

Favourite football shoes:  Umbro Stealth II

Suits or jeans:  Club suits, I guess I never wear suits (Laughs)

So tell us some more about the Manchester City story if you can, summarize it for us:

Yeah, sure.  I went over as a 15 year old and I didn’t really know what to make of it or what I was getting myself into, just taking it day by day.  I went through the youth team and then the reserves.  Finally got an opportunity to play Premiership football under manager Joe Royle and made my debut as an 18 year old against Chelsea in front of 35-40,000 people at home.  I did well and I was Man of the Match on Match of the Day that week.  Chelsea scored in the last minute to win 2-1 and qualify for the Champions’ League through Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Even though we lost 2-1 it was an incredible day for me, running past players like (Gianfranco) Zola, (Marcel) Desailly and Dennis Wise (who) was in midfield against me.

Then I went away with the Canadian U-20s to Argentina for the Youth World Cup in the summer.  Unfortunately, during that time Royle was given the sack and Kevin Keegan came in.  He was basically given an open chequebook and bought players like Eyal Berkovic, Ali Bernarbia and Nicolas Anelka and the competition went up.   I wanted to play more but didn’t quite get a chance, looking back it was a situation that needed time and perhaps I should have been a bit more patient.  Since I had played a couple of games I wanted to play more.  So I continued to be played in the reserves, and was in and out of the first team squad, making the bench a couple of times.  I couldn’t get a game all season!  (Laughs) That year we set a record for points in the Championship but Keegan played the same XI all year and the same three stayed fit all season and played all the games in the season.  It was very frustrating for me since I wanted to break into the team.

(Manchester City was relegated from the Premiership in 2001 and then won back promotion in 2002 as winners of the Championship)

The following season we were back in the premiership and after a meeting with Keegan, I was loaned out to Bury, then in the third division.  I loved that since I was playing every week in the first team and we were second after three months. At the end of the season I had a year left on my contract with City.

(Although City owned the player and retained his future options, Bury paid a part of his contract as terms of loaning Dunfield)

Basically I was on City’s books but Bury would pick up a part of the wages and City had an option to persist with me in case I turned out to become very good.  I had another meeting with Keegan and he said I had done really well with Bury and they were prepared to offer me a new two year deal, but I wanted to play on a regular basis since I felt I was ready and wanted more first team action.   So, he told me that if that’s what I wanted than I was free to leave since he could not guarantee first team football.  He saw me as one for the future.  I said I wanted to play and was ready to play for Bury if I could not play for City.  So we parted ways and I left for Bury!  Looking back it was callous and arrogant but I was 20 and I felt I was ready.  I had a ‘me against the world’ attitude and a very confident mentality. (Laughs) My dad didn’t talk to me for two years.  A week later at Bury it sunk in. What had I just done? (Laughs)

How was the lifestyle - lots of cars and girls?

(Chuckles) Yeah, when I was a youth team player at City I had three cars and a speedboat and (Laughs) yeah there were women - I wasn’t playing hard to get! (Laughs) it went to my head a little bit, I thought I was David Beckham, in a good humoured kind of way of course, but I was loving life and for a while my priorities changed a little.  I was the man off the pitch and not as focussed on the pitch. (Laughs)

(Bury FC played in the old English Division 4, now called League Two, between 2002-2011)

At Bury things were different.  After City where you are given everything it was hard.  You’re training on parks, washing your kit and bringing your own lunch to practices.  It smacked me in the face, this was real life.  I kept my three cars but by the time I figured it all out it took me two years.  We made the playoffs both years.  I got a knee injury during Christmas in the year my contract was running out.  Since I thought the injury was not serious, I turned down a new contract that was offered to me.  But my injury got worse and I could not recover.  I was footballer with a bum knee and no club.

My injury took me the better part of 18 months to recover from due to bad surgeries and incorrect treatment.  But luckily I found Dr. McCormack and he fixed my knee with surgery.  However I then broke down during preseason and I thought I would never play again.  I was at a crossroads - either I hang up my boots or have a second surgery. I thought I had a chocolate knee but the second surgery went well and I was told I could play 9 months later.  So, I was not playing for two years.   Towards the end of my rehabilitation stint City brought me back in and I am very grateful as they were able to get me over the hill.

What was it like during that time?

During those years the bills pile up, the cars go, the boat goes, the girls go (Laughs) A 5 foot 10 Blonde left me (Laughs) with her car and handbags.  My dad was disappointed about that! (Laughs) When you’re on top everyone wants to be your mate and the phone never stops ringing.  I had a youth team manager who warned me that this is what it’s like.  Every single pot hole I fell in twice.  When I got back to Man City I’m on the wall as the second person to come through their youth ranks after Shawn Wright Phillips and before Dickson Etuhu, who went on to have a great career.

During that time my life was very different.  I was working in the factory driving a forklift.  I was up at 6:00 AM rehabilitating then having a great ‘gutbusting’ heavy English breakfast (Laughs) At the factory we’d work till noon then we’d go to the chip shop at lunch.  Then we were back, work till 3:00 PM when everyone went to lose their wages on the bookies (Laughs) Finally, we’d finish up at 6:00 and we’d head down to the pub.  It’s a different thing but I met some great people and some real characters and of course they all want to hear your soccer stories.

I also got picked up and got offered a job at a financial company called Sigma 360 where I was doing administrative work.  The company was a financial company that worked with athletes.  It was degrading at times since I had to greet players at the door since the company felt having and ex-pro greet footballers was a good thing.  A friend of mine comes in, Kevin Nolan, who used to play for Bolton when I was at City and I had to greet him and then fetch him and the rest of the financial team coffee.  I got the wrong coffee and my boss screamed at me.  Nolan was lactose intolerant and I got him a latte! (Laughs) It was very challenging and character building and several times I felt like walking out right there!  I was always thinking “How did I land up here?”

Funnily enough 3 years later, after I got a move to Shrewsbury, they phoned me and said they wanted my business but I humbly had to say no but thanked them for the job I had had with them during my time off.  After the injury I was at Macclesfield, my hometown team in England.  My reserve team coach at Man City was the coach at Macclesfield - Asa Hartford as well as Ian Bracewell who was assistant coach.  They scouted me and asked me to sign up with them.  I played every game for Macclesfield and then they sold me to the Man United of Division 3, Shrewsbury for a 100,000.  The plan was to go up through the divisions but we lost at Wembley.  18 months later I got a call to play for Canada.

That was another funny story as I had to get a new passport and a ticket at the last minute.  So I had to run around, drive to the embassy in Peterborough which was 3 hours away from Birmingham and pleaded to the agent, told him that this was my only chance of playing for Canada being 28 and coming off injury and I guess he felt sorry for me and gave me a passport.  Great guy, he got me my passport in two hours and wished me luck!  Then I had to run to a local Thomas Cook to get a flight and they got me round the world ticket to Venezuela for the friendly.  So, I flew Birmingham to London and then to JFK and then went to New Jersey by bus overnight and then flew to Bogota and from there to Caracas!

That was another adventure. That was a $4000 flight.  More than some cars that I have bought (Laughs)

I get to Caracas and I’m so excited to play and I have all my kit but the rest of the national team is delayed from Argentina and I’m the first and only one there.  So I’m on the way to Madeira for the game and I thought someone was playing a massive joke on me.  No one else was there.  So I passed the time talking to people about Anacondas and drug dealers and price of oil (Laughs) Finally, the squad showed up the next day and I had to retell the whole story again.  I guess at the end I really wanted to prove that given a chance I will give 100% to the cause.