Journalist Han Bing reported that John Herdman, who turned 47 in July, was only 1.65 meters tall and moved to New Zealand at the age of 26, he never imagined that he would go down in the annals of world football: becoming the first coach to lead both the women's and men's national teams to the finals of the World Cup. The descendant of a family of steel mill workers in the north-east of England, although he loves football and Newcastle United, has realized at the age of 16 that he cannot be a successful player, but may be a successful coach.
Before taking charge of the Canadian men's national team in 2018, the diminutive coach was one of the top coaches in the women's football world. During his 5 years with the New Zealand women's national football team, he twice brought the New Zealand U20 women's national youth team to the final round of the U20 women's world youth championship, twice brought the New Zealand women's national football team to the women's World Cup, and the 2008 Beijing Olympic Women's Football Finals. After losing all three games in the 2011 Women's World Cup, The Canadian Women's Soccer Team lost all three games, Herdman was in danger and immediately led the team to a bronze medal at the Pan Am Games. In 2015, she brought the Canadian women's football team to the top 8 of the Women's World Cup and won the bronze medal of women's football at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, which is the biggest contributor to the bottoming out of the Canadian women's football team in recent years.
Because of the unprecedented success of the Canadian women's football team, Herdman coached the Canadian men's national team in early 2018 and became the technical director of the Canadian men's national team from the U14 level to the national team of all age groups. In just 4 years, the Canadian men's national football team has also achieved a leap like women's football. In 2021, Canada's men's world ranking rose from 72nd to 40th, setting a new team record, and the team won FIFA's Annual Fastest Improving National Team Award. In February, Canada's world rankings continued to rise to 33rd. Subsequently, it is to let the Canadians relive the Dream of the World Cup after 36 years, and also create the history of world football.
Before moving to New Zealand at the age of 26, Hedman made a special trip to South America to learn the techniques, tactics and training methods of Brazilian football, and returned to england to establish the Brazilian Football School. Players from Sunderland sent their children to the football school, and he was given the opportunity to enter the youth system of Sunderland. Herdman spent three years in Sunderland's academy, training liverpool captain and England international Henderson.
At that time, Herdman taught four days a week in the Department of Sports Science at the University of Northumbria and worked at the Sunderland Academy in the evening. Herdman considered pursuing a PhD and used his teaching experience in Sunderland's youth system as a research subject. Later, his graduate mentor Portrack went to teach at the University of Otago in New Zealand, where he secured a position for his student Herdman as Regional Director of Football Development in New Zealand, allowing Herdman to better implement his own football strategic plan from the grassroots level.
Herdman is an uncompromising workaholic, saying he doesn't remember when he worked less than 80 hours a week: "It's my personality, probably a paranoia..." Even in his daily life, he was very persistent and persistent, Andelman married Claire, a young boy, and at one point drove the old-fashioned silver beetles from leeds to Visit his wife in Consett every week. And in the Canadian national team, the madness of football is also his driving force. The Canadian men's team, ranked 94th in the world when he was coaching, rose to 33rd in February, just four years.
Herdman's 7 years of experience with the Canadian women's national team have given him a good understanding of the country. From the U14 level all the way through to the uniform tactical style of the senior national team, Herdman is not only good at promoting new people, but also very aware of the need to introduce new forces to Canadian football – naturalized players. At the same time, take advantage of the competition environment that is too different in Central and North America to create a chance for Canada to win. For example, at home against Mexico and the United States, temperatures are below freezing.
Herdman is well aware of Canada's large population base, but needs to allow them to come out of the first sport of ice hockey and really realize the sense of honor of fighting for Canada on the football field. Relying on Canada's population base based on school football, as well as the special introduction of football immigration elites in recent years, coupled with the idol effect of naturalized players he personally lobbied, especially Alfonso Davis and Jonathan David, the Canadian men's football team not only defeated the powerful American team again after 34 years, but also relied on Herdman's specially designed 343 formation, fulfilling the World Cup dream of Canadian fans after 36 years.
Although coaching appointments have been made from the Premier League and Championship, the 2026 World Cup will be held in Canada, and Herdman hopes to bring new glory to Canadian football on home soil.