Crewe star determined to continue 'amazing journey' and make World Cup dream come true

Crewe Alexandra defender Jamie Knight-Lebel has been called up by the Canada nationalist squad - and the talented teen is present targeting a imagination spot astatine the 2026 World Cup

Crewe defender Jamie Knight-Lebel ever had a World Cup imagination - and is present determined to marque it a reality.

Canadian-born Knight-Lebel, 19, says helium grew up watching World Cups arsenic a kid and admits it astir feels “too bully to beryllium true” that helium could beryllium playing successful 1 himself.

Knight-Lebel made his elder debut for Canada earlier this period and has present got his sights acceptable connected winning a spot successful the squad for the associated hosts for the tourney successful 18 months’ time.

It has been an “amazing journey” for the teenage centre fractional who is presently connected indebtedness astatine Crewe from his genitor nine Bristol City.

They sent him retired to get minutes nether his loop - and helium has done good capable to get called-up by Canada. Canada brag Jesse Marsch has already told Knight-Lebel that helium has a large aboriginal implicit the adjacent fewer years alongside the likes of Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies and Co.

Knight-Lebel said: “I grew up watching World Cups arsenic a kid. I retrieve 2014, that was astir apt the archetypal I retrieve truly clearly, past Russia successful 2018 and since then, each the Euros and World Cups, it’s the highest of shot and it would beryllium astonishing to beryllium involved.

“Then to really play for the hosts would beryllium amazing. All the Canadian broadside of my household are telling maine that I person to marque it, they would travel and enactment maine and I would beryllium truthful proud.

“It’s astir excessively bully to beryllium true. The World Cup is an unthinkable people and opportunity. I’ve conscionable made my debut, I privation to articulation up with much camps but evidently that has to beryllium my goal.”

Knight-Lebel has an absorbing household inheritance arsenic his Canadian dada Isaak was traveling astir the world erstwhile helium met his mum Sarah successful Brighton.

They divided clip surviving betwixt Canada and England successful the aboriginal years and his football-mad mum made definite helium took up the athletics earlier the household moved to Bristol erstwhile helium was five-years-old.

He aboriginal joined Southampton ’s academy, got released and past signed for Bristol City astatine 14. He was besides eligible to play for Wales done his mum’s broadside of the household but erstwhile they tried to telephone him up, Canada moved successful quickly. He made his debut arsenic a substitute against Suriname.

Knight-Lebel said: “It helped to get the telephone from Canada due to the fact that it made my caput up. I had a Zoom telephone with Jesse Marsch, helium was saying to maine that I was successful his plans for the adjacent fewer years. Then Wales wanted to telephone maine up and Canada past enactment maine successful the squad.

“I was truthful proud. It was incredible. Living and playing successful England but past getting called up by Canada was conscionable fantastic.

“The grooming and set-up is elite, apical level. It was specified a bully acquisition due to the fact that of the calibre of players successful the squad, the manager and each of the players were truthful welcoming on with the manager.

“It was a bully archetypal crippled to marque your debut due to the fact that we were 3-0 up, got a fewer touches, didn’t person overmuch defending to bash and we won the game.”

Knight-Lebel is simply a ball-playing centre fractional who has already played for Bristol City’s archetypal squad but the program was to nonstop him retired connected loan, get him immoderate minutes astatine Crewe and assistance his improvement for the agelong term.

He added: “I wanted to get retired and play, get immoderate minutes and it felt similar the cleanable determination to Crewe due to the fact that of however the play, they privation to get promotion from League Two and it’s been going well.

“There are truly breathtaking times astatine Bristol City, it’s a large nine with large aspirations but, for my development, it was bully to get retired connected indebtedness due to the fact that to play against grown men, larn my commercialized and it’s decidedly been the close happening to do.”

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