TORONTO — Bayern Munich took a keen interest in Albertans long before the five-time European champs scooped up Alphonso Davies.

Canadian international Nik Ledgerwood recounts following Calgary native Owen Hargreaves to Germany more than a decade ago, when the Bavarian mega-club brought him in on trial.

Ahead of the Canadian Premier League’s upcoming #GotGame Open Trials, the 33-year-old Ledgerwood described the emotions he felt while trialling in front of some of the world’s premier coaches.

“It’s scary. You’re walking into this unknown. I didn’t know what to expect,” Ledgerwood told CanPL.ca. “I didn’t know many of (Munich’s) older players, which may have been a good thing. I didn’t know the real history of Bayern Munich, other than I knew Owen Hargreaves played there.

“I still remember the first day, walking into the training grounds and seeing this immaculate training facility. One of the youth organizers took me on a tour around everything and into the first team locker room. He showed me Owen Hargreaves locker.”

With opportunities limited in Canada back then, Ledgerwood’s professional path began that week as he trained with Bayern’s under-19 squad with the hope of landing a deal.

After “doing well” alongside Bayern’s top teenage prospects, Ledgerwood remembers joining Munich’s reserve squad for a pair of training sessions that were a level above where he’d been.

With a majority of Bayern’s stars away on national team duty, Ledgerwood was granted a memorable session with the club’s first team on its main training pitch.

“I just remember being blown away by the precision of every player,” Ledgerwood reminisced. “Every touch was perfect. Every pass was perfect. You just come to realize how far you are from being a professional. That was my first view.

“Growing up in Alberta, you were always the best on your team. You were always one of the best in Lethbridge or one of the best on the Alberta team. Then you were one of the better players on Canada’s youth team.

“Then you go over to Germany and all of a sudden every single player is like a best player. You finally realize what it means and what it takes to be a professional. It was really eye-opening, but it motivated me to see these guys training in such a big training centre.”

Ledgerwood eventually “crossed the street” and signed a deal with 1860 Munich. But along with the memories of training next to guys like Brazil’s Giovane Elber and Germany’s Thomas Like, Ledgerwood remembers the day he received an invitation from Hargreaves.

“He got ahold of me and said, ‘Let’s have dinner, let’s go to the driving range.’ He’s a real nice guy,” Ledgerwood explained, adding Hargreaves’ home was unforgettable.

“He opened his closet and there must have been 150 shoes he’d never worn. It was ridiculous. I’m there as an 18-year-old wondering what the hell was going on.

“It was just a completely different world to what I was used to.”

As for Hargreaves’ decision to play for England?

“We never talked about it. It wasn’t something we brought up. I think at that time I was still too young,” Ledgerwood said.

“I was only 18. I hadn’t played with (Canada’s) men’s team yet. Maybe it wasn’t a huge deal yet. He hadn’t gone to the World Cup with England.”

After carving out a lengthy career in Europe, Ledgerwood returned to Alberta with FC Edmonton in 2016 before joining the Calgary Foothills ahead of the CPL’s inaugural 2019 season.

He told CanPL.ca he’s keeping a close eye on the impending CPL trials, adding there are no more excuses for Canadians who think they’ve got game.

“The thing I was told (when I was on trial) was don’t hold back,” Ledgerwood said. “You shouldn’t change your style of play. You’ll get overlooked and you’ll regret not playing the way you normally play.

“Just be yourself,” he added. “Don’t regret anything. It’s only a two-day trial. Don’t go in trying not to make a mistake. All professionals make mistakes. There are no players who don’t make mistakes. Show what you have. Show your capabilities.”

As for Ledgerwood, he’s also interested in continuing his career — perhaps in Canada’s coast-to-coast soccer league.

“I want to play as long as I can,” he said. “I think I still have three or four years left in me. That’s going to be my concentration for the next couple years — to stay fit and play. If I can still play, I’m going to play.”

How should CPL hopefuls approach open trials?
The league’s coaches have some advice.

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— CanPL (@CPLsoccer) August 27, 2018