Atiba Hutchinson facts for kids
Hutchinson playing for Beşiktaş in 2023
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth name | Atiba Hutchinson | ||
| Date of birth | 8 February 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Brampton, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Brampton YSC | |||
| North Scarborough SC | |||
| Woodbridge Strikers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002 | York Region Shooters | 2 | (0) |
| 2002–2003 | Toronto Lynx | 4 | (3) |
| 2003–2004 | Öster | 24 | (6) |
| 2004–2006 | Helsingborg | 49 | (6) |
| 2006–2010 | Copenhagen | 139 | (22) |
| 2010–2013 | PSV | 80 | (4) |
| 2013–2023 | Beşiktaş | 270 | (24) |
| Total | 568 | (62) | |
| International career | |||
| 2001–2003 | Canada U20 | 19 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Canada U23 | 10 | (0) |
| 2003–2023 | Canada | 105 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Atiba Hutchinson (born February 8, 1983) is a former Canadian soccer player. He is known as a legend in Canadian soccer. He played 105 games for the Canadian national team over 20 years. This means he has played more games for Canada than any other male player.
Hutchinson became very well known while playing for F.C. Copenhagen in Denmark. He was the first North American player to be named the Danish Superliga Player of the Year. In the same year, he won the first of his six Canadian Player of the Year awards. After playing for PSV Eindhoven for three years, he spent 10 years with Beşiktaş in Turkey. He became a fan favorite there before he retired.
In 2012, the Canadian Soccer Association celebrated 100 years of soccer. Atiba was chosen for the all-time Canadian men's best team. Towards the end of his career, he was a key leader for Canada's "golden generation" of soccer players.
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Club Career Highlights
Atiba Hutchinson was born in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. His parents were from Trinidad. He started playing youth soccer at age four. He played for Brampton Youth SC, North Scarborough SC, and Woodbridge Strikers.
Starting His Professional Journey
After a tryout in Germany in 2001, Atiba began his professional career in 2002. He played briefly for the York Region Shooters. Then, he joined the Toronto Lynx in July 2002.
Playing in Sweden: Öster and Helsingborg
In January 2003, Atiba moved to Sweden to play for Östers IF. The team had just been promoted to the top league, Allsvenskan. He scored six goals for Öster in 2003. When the club was moved down to a lower league, Atiba transferred to Helsingborgs IF in January 2004. He became one of Helsingborg's best players in 2005, scoring six goals from his midfield position.
Success in Denmark: Copenhagen
Hutchinson then moved to the Danish club F.C. Copenhagen. He often played in the middle of the field or as a winger. His coach, Ståle Solbakken, thought Atiba's attacking skills were too good for him to only play as a defensive midfielder.
After leaving Denmark, Atiba was named the Danish Superliga Player of the Year for his last season with Copenhagen. This award was given to him by the famous German footballer Franz Beckenbauer in November 2010. Atiba was the first Canadian to win this award. In 2014, fans voted him into Copenhagen's all-time favorite team.
Time in the Netherlands: PSV
On April 22, 2010, Atiba signed a three-year contract with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He joined them for free. He played his first game for PSV in August 2010. Atiba scored his first goal for PSV in January 2011. He helped PSV reach the Quarter Finals of the Europa League.
He missed the start of the 2011-12 season due to a knee injury he got while playing for Canada. He had another knee injury later that year. Despite his injuries, he helped PSV win the KNVB Cup in 2012.
A Decade in Turkey: Beşiktaş
Atiba wanted to play for a club in the English Premier League. However, on July 31, 2013, he joined Beşiktaş in Turkey on a two-year deal. He scored his first goal for the club in March 2014. In a game against Arsenal in 2014, Arsenal's coach, Arsène Wenger, said Atiba was the most impressive Beşiktaş player.
Atiba signed new contracts with Beşiktaş in 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2022. He helped Beşiktaş win the Süper Lig (Turkish league) in 2016 and 2017. By the 2019-20 season, he had played 200 league games for Beşiktaş.
In May 2023, Beşiktaş announced that Atiba would leave the club after 10 years. His last game was on June 3, where he scored a penalty in a 5-2 win. Before Beşiktaş's final game of the season, the club honored him in front of their fans. He retired from professional soccer after the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League final match.
International Career for Canada
Atiba Hutchinson played for Canada's national youth teams, including the FIFA World Youth Championships in 2001 and 2003. He made his first game for the senior Canada team in January 2003. He played in six CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments between 2003 and 2019.
Key Moments and Awards
In the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Canada reached the semi-finals against the United States. Atiba scored a goal in the last minute, but it was ruled offside. Many people believed the call was wrong.
In December 2010, Atiba won his first Canadian International Player of the Year award. He won this award because of his great play for the national team and becoming the first Canadian to win the Danish Superliga Player of the Year. He won this award five more times in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Canada struggled to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for many years. In 2012, Canada needed a draw against Honduras to reach the final stage of World Cup qualification. However, they lost 8-1, which was one of the team's worst losses. Despite this, Atiba said he still wanted to try for another World Cup.
Leading Canada's Golden Generation
After missing some games in 2016 and 2017, coach John Herdman convinced Atiba to return to the national team. Herdman believed Atiba's experience would help young talents like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David. Atiba had thought about retiring from the national team, but he stayed.
In March 2021, Atiba joined Canada for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. This time, the team was much more successful. On November 16, 2021, Atiba captained Canada to a 2-1 win over Mexico. This game was his 90th appearance for Canada, making him the all-time leader in games played for the men's national team.
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On March 27, 2022, Canada officially qualified for the World Cup with a 4-0 win over Jamaica. This was the first time Canada had qualified for the World Cup in 36 years! Atiba was the oldest outfield player at the 2022 World Cup. On November 27, he played his 100th game for Canada against Croatia, becoming the first Canadian man to reach this milestone.
In June 2023, Atiba was part of the squad for the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals. He said this tournament would likely be his last with Canada. Canada reached the final, which was the first time Atiba had played in an international final. He confirmed his retirement from international soccer on June 17, 2023.
Personal Life
Atiba Hutchinson is married to Sarah, who is French-Iranian. They met when he was playing in Denmark. They have three sons: Noah (born 2015), Nava (born 2016), and Ayo Siyah (2017). All three boys were born in Istanbul, Turkey. In April 2022, Atiba became part owner of a soccer club called Simcoe County Rovers FC in Canada.
Honours and Awards
Atiba Hutchinson won many awards and championships during his career:
With Copenhagen
- Danish Superliga: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10
- Danish Cup: 2008–09
- Royal League: 2005–06
With PSV
- KNVB Cup: 2011–12
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2012
With Beşiktaş
- Süper Lig: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21
- Turkish Cup: 2020–21
- Turkish Super Cup: 2021
Individual Awards
- East Front Trophy (voted best player by Östers IF fans): 2003
- Danish Superliga Player of the Year: 2009–10
- Canadian Player of the Year: 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- CONCACAF Best XI: 2016
- FC Copenhagen All Time Best XI (fan vote for 100th Anniversary)
- Canada Soccer President's Award: 2023
- Canadian Soccer Association: All-Time Canada XI
- Süper Lig Team of the Season: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21
See also
In Spanish: Atiba Hutchinson para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
