By Canadian Press

Kevin McKenna, Randee Hermus headed to Canada Soccer Hall of Fame

Apr 12, 2019 | 12:00 PM

TORONTO — Former Canada captain Kevin McKenna and Randee Hermus have been named to the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame.

McKenna, 39, won 63 caps for Canada between 2000 and 2012, serving as captain 27 times. A tall defender who also had some success playing forward, the Calgary native scored 11 goals.

Hermus made 113 appearances for Canada from 2000 to 2008. A midfielder and centre back, she scored 12 goals. Now 39, the native of Langley, B.C., played in two World Cups and one Olympics and won bronze at the 2007 Pan American Games.

McKenna represented Canada at the FIFA Confederations Cup in 2001, was part of four cycles of World Cup qualifying and five CONCACAF Gold Cups. He was a Gold Cup tournament all-star in 2002 when Canada finished third.

“Growing up, you never know where the sport will take you, but I was very lucky to play the game professionally and to represent my country,” McKenna said in a statement. “It was a special honour every time that I put on that Canadian jersey.”

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McKenna and fellow Hall of Famer Paul Stalteri made history in August 2000 when they became the first Canadians to play in Germany’s Bundesliga. Stalteri, playing for Werder Bremen, scored in the game against McKenna’s Energie Cottbus.

McKenna was loaned to Scotland’s Heart of Midlothian in 2001, making the move permanent later that year. He returned to Cottbus in 2005 before shifting to FC Koln in 2007. He retired in 2014 and today is part of the Koln coaching staff.

His last game for Canada was in October 2012 when Canada was knocked out of World Cup qualifying in an 8-1 loss in Honduras.

Hermus played her club football in Norway and Canada, twice winning the W-League with the Vancouver Whitecaps (2004, 2006).

“To accompany my soccer heroes like (Hall of Famers) Geri Donnelly, Silvana Burtini and Amy Walsh is both humbling and astonishing,” Hermus said.

Hermus played in a career-high 46 consecutive Canada matches from 2005 to 2008, a record that stood until 2012 when it was surpassed by Sophie Schmidt.

“Randee and Kevin were Canadian stars and trailblazers in both club and international football, with Randee part of our country’s first-ever participation at the Olympic Games and Kevin part of our first team to play in the FIFA Confederations Cup,” Steven Reed, president of the Canadian Soccer Association, said in a statement.

“They are both truly deserving of this honour after outstanding careers in football.”

The additions of McKenna and Hermus bring the number of inductees to 127 players, 13 managers/coaches, 10 officials and 40 builders.

The two new additions will be honoured at future home international matches this year.

The class of 2019 was selected by a voting panel from a list of 17 nominations.

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press