'She embraces everyone': Canada captain Christine Sinclair as special off pitch as on it

Appointed head coach of the Canadian women's soccer team in October 1999, Even Pellerud recalls essentially being handed a blank piece of paper.

"It was a baby program. It was really nothing to inherit," he said.

So, after arriving in Canada from his native Norway in early 2000, he left his family in Toronto to scout talent. With help from local coaches, he had three practice games set up in three cities.

One player immediately caught his eye at the game in Vancouver.

"On the right side of the white team there was a player that really stood out with her smartness and speed and skills," he said. "And of course, it didn't take a long time before I asked the people 'Who is this?' And then they said, 'This is just a young player.' And I said 'Well, give me the name. I want her."'

It was Christine Sinclair.

"So that was the first thing I did in Canada," said Pellerud.

He gave a 16-year-old Sinclair her senior debut that March, making her Canada's youngest-ever player at the time, at the 2000 Algarve Cup. She opened her account two days later in a 2-1 win over Norway, becoming Canada's youngest-ever scorer (Kara Lang subsequently broke both records).

"Even though she was immature and young and shy, I think I immediately knew this is the player to build the team around," said Pellerud. "Because it was her and then you had some of the veterans like Andrea Neil and Silvana Burtini around her to build leadership. That was what I built on. Those veteran players with smartness and leadership and then Sinclair. And then you kind of filled out the team around that."

Sinclair went on to score 15 goals in 2002 and 98 in all during Pellerud's nine years at the Canadian helm.

"I don't think I really remember coaching her a lot," said