Former Canada defender Doneil Henry learning the other side of football these days

By Canadian Press on January 9, 2026.

Doneil Henry has been building his soccer portfolio since retiring as a player in 2023. And the 32-year-old former Canadian international takes another step this week, this time as a guest coach at Canada’s camp in California.

It’s full circle for Henry, who won 44 caps for Canada as a player. And a chance to learn under Canada coach Jesse Marsch.

“For me, I’m still in the process of (deciding) if I want to be a coach or a sporting director,” Henry said. “Right now I’m really happy with just being part of the process and figuring it out, as I’m very young.”

Prior to coming to the Canada camp, which runs through Jan. 18 in Irvine, Henry had several Zoom calls with Marsch.

“He’s really good with the alumni,” said Henry, who flew to California on Wednesday.

Henry joined Milton Magic FC last month as technical director of the amateur club’s male program. The hope is he can help build the club and eventually take its top men and women sides to League1 Ontario.

The Milton club, which was formed in 1968, is home to some 2,500 members.

“It’s a club with a massive ambitions to continue to build the game in Canada,” said Henry, who now makes his home in Milton.

Previously Henry was sporting director and co-owner of League1 Ontario’s Simcoe County Rovers, a connection that ended in mid-December when the club, whose ownership group also included former Canadian stars Julian de Guzman and Atiba Hutchison and current internationals Janine Sonis and Cyle Larin, was sold to Barrie Soccer Club.

Henry’s enthusiasm — and affection for his players — was easy to spot when Simcoe County faced Toronto FC in Canadian Championship play in April 2024. His Simcoe squad, which lost 5-0 to Toronto, included a range of occupations from chemical plant workers to students and deliverymen.

Henry, who came through the Toronto academy and made 101 appearances across all competitions in two stints with the MLS team, was part-coach, part-cheerleader.

Henry had a similar role with Canada at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after suffering an injury on eve of the tournament.

The defender was scheduled to captain Canada in a pre-tournament friendly against Bahrain in Manama just two days before then-coach John Herdman named his World Cup roster. But Henry was sidelined after feeling a sharp pain in his calf during the pre-game warm-up.

The initial diagnosis was recovery would take up to 14 days. With Canada’s tournament opener coming 12 days later, Henry opted to take his name out of World Cup contention, saying it was just the right thing to do.

“I knew that there were players in this team who deserved it and who are ready to step on the field to make sure that they can give us the best opportunity to win,” he said at the time.

That sacrifice drew a tribute from Herdman.

“Doneil put the team first … It was a big moment.”

Herdman brought Henry to Qatar where he served in a non-playing role, doing everything from “a little bit of tactical work on the computers” to taking the emotional pulse of his teammates.

“Just literally being a big brother,” he said at the time.

While loyal to Herdman and appreciative of the culture he built and the work he did to get Canada to the World Cup, Henry says he learned from the Qatar experience, saying “a lot of things could have been done better.”

“The foundation of what made that team so great, I felt like we lost a little bit of that getting to the big stage at that tournament,” he said. “I think this time around we know what we need to do and what it’s going to take to beat some of the bigger nations.”

Canada, then ranked 41st in the world, left Qatar after losing 1-0 to No. 2 Belgium, 4-1 to No. 12 Croatia and 2-1 to No. 22 Morocco.

Henry says the team made its mark just by getting to Qatar against the odds. “We proved that we belonged,” he said.

But it came at a cost, he believes. The tight-knit team that topped CONCACAF qualifying splintered somewhat in Qatar.

“I think going to the World Cup, everybody kind of made it about themselves and the potential moves that could have happened after that trip,” he said. “So instead of playing for the team and the nucleus of what made us great staying together, it was more (that) everybody had their own agenda — ‘Yeah after the World Cup, I’m going here’ so everybody had their own agendas.”

“I think everything happens for a reason and those moments definitely serve a purpose,” he added. “We won’t get it wrong this time around, I can assure you of that.”

While Henry, who has a two-year-old son, is still figuring out his soccer future, he has a role model in de Guzman. The former Canada captain is now sporting director of the New York Red Bulls.

“What I do know is that all these experiences are very good,” Henry said. “But if I’m looking at where an I right now, two years into the other side of this part of the game, I’m still very very new. And I think there’s so much more for me to learn.”

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2026.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press