Shropshire Star

Jayson Leutwiler called up to Canada's CONCACAF Gold Cup squad

Shrewsbury shot-stopper Jayson Leutwiler has been called-up to the Canada international squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup next month.

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The 28-year-old made his international bow for the Canucks last November in a friendly out in South Korea and has been involved in two Canada camps previously.

The competition, based in the United States, begins on July 8 with the final dated on July 27.

Canada will compete in a group alongside Honduras, Costa Rica and French Guiana.

Town chief Paul Hurst has wished his glovesman well for the tournament, but admitted the timing is less than ideal given Town's busy pre-season friendly schedule throughout July.

“It’s perhaps a strange case of bad timing for us and it doesn’t really help, but you know that he’s going to be going somewhere and be training," said Hurst.

“It’s good news for Jayson and another great experience for him. It’s just not ideal from our point of view for him not to be playing through pre-season but we will have to manage that.

“It will be interesting to see if Jayson gets any game time, but whether he plays or not, to be part of that group in that competition will be a great life experience for him.

“I’m sure he will want to get into that team and to get some minutes and from our point of view he can do that.

“He will be back before the season gets underway and as I just hope he gets the training we require and some game time as well.”

With Mark Halstead having departed earlier in the summer, the call-up could open up a chance for Shaun Rowley and Callum Burton to shine in next month's fixtures.

Hurst has also made no secret of being in the hunt for another shot-stopper during the summer window.

Leutwiler, who holds a Canadian passport through his mother, was excited by the competition and the memories that it could create.

He said: “It’s super exciting.

“I was very happy and very proud when I got the call up and it’s going to be a great experience for myself and a very proud moment for my family.

“I’m just very happy and it feels like a gift after the hard work that I put in through the year and to get something like this at the end is great.”

“I’m at a point in my career where I want to live those moments and it’s my first big tournament in my career so far, so it is going to be very exciting and I’m looking forward to it."

The Swiss-born former Middlesbrough man believes that getting some game time out in the States could even put him at an advantage when League One gets underway on August 5.

Leutwiler added: “My goal is to go there and do my best. If I play then I will give everything and if I don’t then I will support the team and I think it’s very important in those tournaments that everyone is there for the same targets and try to win games and see how far we go.”

“It feels a bit weird because you come here and think you will have six or seven weeks of pre-season, but at the same time it could be a good thing because you might be back into it quicker than the others and it could be an advantage for later on.

“If you play then you come back here having already played competitive games in a big competition and that will definitely be an advantage for the rest of the season.”