English returns home to play for Edge

Former national team player in action at Centre 200 on Tuesday against the Highlanders

Carl English could never have foreseen the circuitous route his professional basketball career would take.

And now, seven countries, 13 pro teams and three kids later, Newfoundland’s favourite basketball son is home.

The 36-year-old English will make his debut Saturday for the St. John’s Edge in their inaugural season in the National Basketball League of Canada.

“It’s been a helluva journey,’’ English said from St. John’s, his Newfoundland accent still evident. “And now it’s a whole circle, a circle that has taken me back to where it all started. And it’s pretty unique how it all unfolded.’’

English’s uncommon path began in tiny Patrick’s Cove, N.L., a town of about 100 on Placentia Bay. He lost both his parents in a house fire at the age of five, and then was separated from his four brothers. His uncle who raised him died in a fishing accident the day English was scheduled to fly to Hawaii to attend university.

Basketball has been his outlet.

“Basketball is the easy part in all of this,’’ he told reporters at a news conference this week. “It’s always been the way out for me with anything I was struggling with.’’

After his college career at Hawaii, English, an NBA hopeful, went undrafted 2003. And from there began his global expedition, summed up appropriately on the Carl English Fan Club’s Twitter page — with a banner featuring a montage of English in seven different team jerseys.

The six- foot- five shooting guard spent the bulk of his career in Spain, living and playing in Gran Canaria, Vitoria, Barcelona, Seville, Madrid and Tenerife.

He’s also done stints in the U.S., for the NBA D-League’s Florida Flame, plus Italy, Croatia, Greece, Puerto Rico, most recently in Germany, where Alba Berlin drew some-13,000 fans to its home games.

He married his high school sweetheart Mandy and they had three kids: son Ryder, who’s nine, and daughters Kirsten (eight), and Kylie (three).

The family had flown home for about fourth months of every year, and three years ago bought a house in Paradise, just outside St. John’s.

English had only a couple of practices with The Edge before departing Friday for Charlottetown where they face the Island Storm, in the first of a whopping five games in just six days. They play the Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon in Halifax, face the Cape Breton Highlanders at Centre 200 in Sydney on Tuesday, are in Moncton on Wednesday to face the Magic, then in Saint John next Friday to play the Riptide.