Keeper of the faith

UNPLUGGED CRAIG FORREST Ex-soccer star opens up about fighting cancer, helping kids and hangin’ with Iron Maiden, by Chris Zelkovich

ne of the most illustrious soccer careers

in Canadian history

didn’t end quite the way Craig Forrest intended. The Coquitlam, B.C., native, the first Canadian to play in the English Premier League and the key figure in Canada’s stunning win at the 2000 Gold Cup, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2001. He recovered fully, but at age 34, his playing career was over.

It was a great career by any standards. His goalkeeping helped Ipswich Town win the English First Division in 1992. He later played for West Ham United and, briefly, Chelsea while anchoring Canada’s national team in 56 contests. But the end of his playing days led to a new career as Rogers Sportsnet’s soccer analyst. He chatted with Unplugged about his career, charity work and his Iron Maiden regrets.

OHow’s your health?

Good, thank you. I get a checkup every six months. Three weeks ago I had my latest and everything was good. It’s always nerve- wracking, waiting for xray results and tests. For the most part I’ve put it behind me. It was very scary at the time, but I was very fortunate that testicular cancer now is very responsive to chemotherapy. Thirty years ago it wasn’t. How did you get into soccer?

I didn’t start playing until I was 12. I was playing lacrosse and hockey every year since I was 5 like a typical Canadian kid growing up in B. C. One of the kids on my team was also a soccer goalkeeper and he couldn’t make it, so they figured I was tall and might be able to do it. So I tried it and liked it. When I made the B. C. under- 16 team, there was a scout who had played for Ipswich’s B team and he asked me if I’d be interested in trying to play over there. I figured sure, why not? So in 1984 you left home at 16 to play soccer in England?

Yeah, I went by myself. Nobody picked me up at the airport. I had to get a subway through London with everything I owned with me. Your parents were happy with this?

Well, certainly my dad was. Did you finish your schooling?

No, I meant to get past Grade 11, but as far as finishing school it never materialized. Luckily, I could catch a ball. How did a Canadian kid fit in to English first division soccer?

I felt I had to be better than the other players, not equal to them, because there were so few players there from ( outside Europe). There was that stigma about us not knowing soccer. Most of them called me American. What was your biggest thrill in soccer?

Internationally, it was playing for Canada. That was a highlight at any time. I loved playing for Canada and winning the Gold Cup in 2000 was the icing on the cake. . . . At the club level, winning the First Division with Ipswich in ’ 92 was big, too. Do you miss the competitive nature of pro sports?

I play hockey with a bunch of guys every Thursday night. It’s a good skate, good fun and it’s not too competitive. When you’ve been competing at the top level for that long you don’t want to be overly competitive. What I really miss is the camaraderie of being part of a team. What’s your role in FIFA’s SOS Children’s Charity, which provides care for Third World orphans?

It’s just bringing awareness of the charity to Canada. It’s the second- largest children’s charity in the world and a lot of people here aren’t aware of it. I’ve seen a lot of terrible poverty travelling with the national team in Central America, Mexico and Jamaica, but I saw that at a distance. With SOS we were taken right into South Africa and saw it first hand. What’s your greatest fear?

After having testicular cancer, my greatest fear is that it would come back. What’s the one thing you’d like to change about yourself?

I’m a pretty trusting person, maybe too much. I’ll leave my car open, stuff like that. Sometimes I give people too much benefit of the doubt. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Coffee. I drink a lot of coffee. What’s your most prized possession?

Materialistically, nothing. My most prized possession is knowing that I beat the odds as a Canadian and played at the top level in Europe. What’s on your car stereo?

Mostly rock. I like Canadian bands like Nickelback, Barenaked Ladies, Rush. I’ve always been a fan of Canadian bands, going back to Glass Tiger. I like Iron Maiden, too. I hung out with (songwriter/bass player) Steve Harris in England. I’ve been to his house a few times. How did that happen? He was a big West Ham fan. One of their later albums has a picture of the team with the Iron Maiden guys, but I was off playing for Canada so I wasn’t in it. That would have been the highlight of my career. What would surprise people most about you?

That I’m about three feet taller than (Sportsnet soccer host) Gerry Dobson. Name three people you’d like to have dinner with. Muhammad Ali, because of his wit and for standing up for what he thought was right and being able to say whatever he thinks. Then Pele, because he was the greatest football player ever and how great he is for the game. He’s such a gentleman. Maybe Wayne Gretzky, just because he was pretty much the greatest hockey player and he’s such an ambassador for the game.