Not every player is ready for the big time once he leaves the academy. The Canadian Soccer Association hopes that this country will soon have several semipro regional leagues that will allow our young players the chance to develop. Quebec’s regional league has created the blueprint for a nation...

The 17-year-old six-foot-four centre back was announced as the Eddies’ newest player Wednesday at St. Joseph’s High School, the team’s base of operations for its academy program.

On Monday, FC Edmonton’s brass brought in each of its players for face-to-face end-of-season meetings. And, on Tuesday, the club announced the status of all its players who were under contract at the end of the 2013 season.

Hometown products Shaun Saiko, who led the team in scoring last season, and fullback Antonio Rago were officially placed on the list, but Alberta-born centre back and NASL Best XI member Paul Hamilton was not part of the 16.

“We want to drip-feed these young men into our first-team environment and, hopefully, get them into our first team as quickly as possible,” Miller said. “In the first team, there will be massive changes, but there always will be a continuing influx of Canadians into the first-team group.”