Peters Out to Make Canada Return - Ipswich Town News

Resurgent Jaime Peters is targeting a return to the Canadian national side having made it back into Town's first team in recent weeks. Canada play in this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup and the winger-turned-full-back is hoping for some involvement.

Peters, who hasn't played for Canada since winning his 15th full cap in June last year, told TWTD that Canada's new interim coach has already been in touch: "Stephen Hart is the caretaker-manager and he's taking the next few games. I've spoken with him and we'll see what happens and take it day by day.

"He said he'd like to see me, so hopefully I'll get a call. In the summer we're playing in the Gold Cup in July and before that we've got a friendly with Cyprus.”

Former Town players have a history in the Gold Cup with Craig Forrest and Jason De Vos part of the Canada side which won the competition in 2000, Forrest being named the competition's Most Valuable Player and De Vos scoring in a 2-0 final victory over Colombia.

Peters says his country is in with a shout this time around if everything comes together, but says there will be tough opposition: "We always have a chance and we have some very talented players, but it depends if the team perform and if it comes right on the day. There's always a lot of competition because there are teams like the US, Mexico and Honduras, who are all very good sides.”

The 21-year-old, who has another year on his Town contract, says he's fine playing at right-back, and even left-back, rather than in midfield if it keeps him in the team: "It's a new position, but as long as you're on the pitch you're happy. They played me at right-back for a couple of games in pre-season. Playing there gives me more space to run into.

"Playing left-back against Norwich was quite a surprise, but I had nothing to lose, so I just played at my best. The manager said ‘Get forward as much as you can and do what you do'.”

Peters admits he's still discovering aspects of playing full-back: "I know the basics, but day by day I learn from Wrighty, Volzy and whoever else is playing right-back.

"I've played a lot of positions, which is good. You learn much more about the game and you know what this player or that player's going to do when you play different positions.

”That's especially the case when you've been playing as an attacker most of the time and you come back - you know what the attacker will do because you're an attacker yourself and you can anticipate him.”

The Ontario-born player says the squad have enjoyed their first week working with Roy Keane: "We all like him, he's good. He's very encouraging towards us, getting us to play football and be calm. It doesn't matter if you make mistakes and things like that. I think it's a very big positive to hear a manager being so encouraging.”

After effectively two years out of the Town first team, Peters, who says that no one has yet crossed the new manager by being late for training, is determined to seal a place during what he hopes will be a successful 2009/10 campaign: "That's what everybody's goal is. Not just for the first game but you want to be a regular and prove to the manager that you can play football.

"And then, hopefully, take the club back to the Premier League, where we all want to be.”

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