Iain Hume is excited to start the next chapter of his soccer career at Woodstock FC, and we are extremely fortunate to have him be part of our club – as the new head coach – with his vast amount of experience and incredible passion for the game.
“I believe I can help people understand what it takes to follow your dreams, and I look forward to helping push the club to where I, along with many others, believe it can get to,” said Hume.
Growing up in the Ontario Soccer program, with a love of the game, allowed Iain Hume to become a professional soccer player at the young age of just 15. Hume’s talent was apparent while he played for Chinguacousy and Brampton Youth Soccer Clubs from the U8 to U16 levels, and his skills earned him a spot on the roster for Team Ontario from U11 to U15.
His dedication and passion for the sport allowed Iain to quickly be recognized around the globe, and it was in September of 1999 that Hume left for England to begin his journey of playing professionally. He went on to play 590 professional games, scoring more than 140 goals during his career for Tranmere Rovers, Leicester City, Barnsley FC, Preston North End, Doncaster Rovers and Fleetwood Town, respectively.
Hume continued to simultaneously play through all levels of the Canadian Youth National Teams. He played U17 and U18, and he represented the U20s at two Youth World Cups (Argentina ’01 and UAE ’03). In total, Hume has played for the Canadian Men’s National team 42 times – with some of the best players Canada has produced.
Hume then moved on to play in the Indian Super League (ISL) for Kerala Blasters, Atletico de Kolkata and FC Pune City, where he won Player of the Year for the League and won the ISL Championship along the way. He also had two stints playing in Spain for SD Ponferradina SAD and Extremadura UD.
While playing professionally, Hume also continuously studied to progress his coaching badges, including recently passing his UEFA B License through the FA Wales Coaching Education program. He also completed some television analyst and match commentary work in the Indian Super League and with One Soccer here in Canada.
Submitted by Woodstock Soccer Club
