Former Canada captain Atiba Hutchinson tells his story in 'The Beautiful Dream' memoir

Making 104 senior appearances for Canada over a 20-year span, Atiba Hutchinson embodied quiet professionalism and leadership.

"He's very humble but his influence is as strong as I've ever seen on men," said former national team coach John Herdman.

"For me it was just a privilege, because I've had the honour to work with people like [former Canada women's captain Christine] Sinclair. And Atiba, he's just been a gift to Canada," he added.

Hutchinson documents his journey on and off the field in an entertaining, refreshingly honest memoir called "The Beautiful Dream," written with Dan Robson.

The former Canada captain, who played for 10 national team coaches, shares the pain of veteran players watching their World Cup dream slip away over the years.

Hutchinson experienced Canada's lows himself, playing for a team ranked No. 122 in the world and 16th in CONCACAF (sandwiched between St. Kitts and Nevis and Aruba) back in October 2014.

Then there was the high of leading his country out at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar after a 36-year absence by the Canadian men.

And while he doesn't throw anyone under the bus — for example, he notes the missed penalty kick in Canada's World Cup opener in Qatar against Belgium without mentioning the taker (Alphonso Davies, whom he is very complimentary to) — he shares stories that paint a picture.

He describes the years of frustration the Canadian men experienced, with European club teammates ridiculing his commitment to the national team. In one telling story about a key World Cup qualifier in Honduras in October 2012, he relates learning in the dressing room before the match that the opposition players had been promised "land or homes" by their federation if they won.

Needing just a draw to