Nathan Saliba experienced an exceptional moment barely six years ago: celebrating a goal with the captain of his favorite team, Nacho Piatti, of the Montreal Impact. Little did he know that at the age of 20, it would be his turn to wear the same armband.

Let’s go back in time. The midfielder played for the Impact Academy. As was customary, the club invited young players to watch local games on the sidelines. On June 13, 2018, it was the turn of young Saliba, from the U14 team, to be called up.

“It was my third training session with the Academy,” Saliba recalled in an interview with La Presse. “I was intimidated. Going to Montreal, taking the metro, it was a lot for me.”

In final stoppage time, Piatti scored a goal to ensure his team’s victory. While celebrating, he saw young Saliba and hugged him. “I was extremely happy, I felt very lucky. I told myself that one day, that could be me. »

It didn’t take long for water to flow under the bridge before this wish came true. As the CF captain, Samuel Piette, is conspicuous by his absence, defending the colors of Canada at the Copa América, his armband was temporarily given to Saliba. Given the young age and level of experience in the field, the decision surprised everyone, including the main person involved.

“I had thought about it a little, but I quickly changed my mind, telling myself that I was making up bullshit,” he says with self-deprecation.

“My speech was very good,” says Saliba, confidently, but refusing to divulge the details. It was something very frank in relation to the coach’s instructions. I thought we didn’t respect them enough. »

Precisely, frankness and the ability to spread the truth in front of his teammates without shying away are, according to the young Saliba, his greatest qualities as a leader. “As they say, the truth comes out of the mouths of children,” says the young adult, bursting out laughing.

Joking aside, the importance of frankness constitutes a key value of Saliba. Value that was instilled in Nathan by his parents from his childhood, spent on the South Shore of Montreal.

It was also his father who introduced him to football. They were having fun in the parks, still far from competition, but with a competitive spirit. “The left foot isn’t just for climbing stairs,” his father always told Nathan, hoping that he would learn to be good with both feet.

These practices led Nathan Saliba to start playing competitive soccer at the age of 9. “I would have preferred to play recreationally, but I was told that it was impossible given my level,” admits Saliba with a smile.

During his early years in soccer, Saliba was regularly named captain of his teams. “He always had an impressive presence, both on and off the field,” says former Impact player Patrick Leduc.

Leduc knows something about this, since he was Saliba’s coach during a Canadian U12 team competition which took place in Paris. You guessed it: Saliba then assumed the captaincy of the team.

“He was one of the few French speakers on the team, so initially, we feared that he would not be able to integrate,” recalls Leduc. But at the end of the tournament, everyone respected him, wanted to be his friend. He is someone who, regardless of his age, has always been capable of assuming his responsibilities, his leadership. »

Clearly, the years are passing, but Saliba’s leadership qualities remain intact. At least, that’s what full-back Raheem Edwards believes. “So far, he’s been really surprising [with the captain’s armband]. He’s really mature, really determined for his age. We’ve seen Samuel Piette become a leader and I think he could be a future captain too.”

We don’t know if Saliba will one day become captain of CF Montreal, but one thing is certain, he is already following in Piette’s footsteps on another level. After 38 professional matches, he is still looking to score his first goal with CF Montreal. Piette achieved this in his fourth season with the team.

Nathan Saliba hopes he will have to be less patient before shaking the ropes. He admits: the prospect of getting there crosses his mind, every time, before setting foot on the field.

“I always had this image of myself scoring my first goal wearing the captain’s armband,” he admits.

Given CF Montreal’s bad streak, Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Union would certainly be an opportune time to do just that.