Former National Team Captain Paul Stalteri to Coach Canada U-17 Squad

Two-time Canadian player of the year, Paul Stalteri was named as the new coach of Canada's men's U-17 team on Thursday. He will be leading the team into the CONCACAF U-17 Championships in the hopes of qualifying for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India.

Stalteri replaces Sean Fleming as the team's head coach. Fleming will take on a new role for the CSA in helping to educate coaches across the country.

The U-17 squad has been the most successful on the men's side of the program lately as they have qualified for two of the last three World Cups. Last year, however, they failed to earn a berth to the 2015 tournament in Chile.

Stalteri began his professional playing career with the Toronto Lynx before moving to Werder Bremen, where he helped the club to a double: winning the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal in 2004. After stints in the Premier League with Tottenham and Fulham, Stalteri moved back to Germany in 2009 with Borussia Monchengladbach.

He would finish his playing career in 2011 with Gladbach and after officially retiring in 2013, Stalteri transitioned into coaching with the Canadian youth programs. Currently possessing a National Coaching "B" License, Paul is studying for his "A" license this year.

He knows what it takes to win having been apart of the 2000 Gold Cup winning team, adding to that a CONCACAF U-20 Championship winners medal, the Bundesliga and German Cup. Stalteri has a wealth of national team experience with 84 international senior caps to his name.

He has also been heavily involved in the Canadian setup since his retirement from the professional game. He has coached the Canadian U-15's as well as being an assistant with the U-20's at the CONCACAF U-20 Men's Championship. He has also participated in several player identification camps alongside fellow former Canadian international Ante Jazic.

His knowledge of the game coupled with his national team program experience, Stalteri will be a welcome addition to the U-17 set-up.