Randy Edwini-Bonsu is a 25 year old striker currently playing VfR Aalen in Germany’s 3.Liga. Born in Ghana, Edwini-Bonsu and his family immigrated to Edmonton in 2002 and he has since played for Canada at various levels and has earned 10 caps for the senior team, scoring his first goal this year against Puerto Rico. At the club level, he’s also played with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Oulu, Eintracht Braunschweig and Stuttgarter Kickers. We spoke with him over email about his development, playing in Europe rather than North America and Canada’s new found scoring depth.

SSPC: Coming up in Alberta, what resources did you find the most useful in helping your development and are you excited by the increased presence of Alberta trained players in the Canadian national program?

REB: I guess discipline. I had a really good youth coach who helped me a lot in that aspect and is nice to see lots of players coming out of Edmonton to represent the national program. And I hope it stays that way and more youth uses that as a motivation.

SSPC: What lead you to pursue playing in Europe back in 2011 rather than joining an MLS or NASL club?

REB: Like every child, playing in Europe for some of the biggest clubs is a dream. And I had the talent and drive for it and after developing in Canada I came to Europe after I thought I was ready for the challenges that comes along

SSPC: Looking back, do you feel your move from the Finnish Second Divsion to Bundesliga 2 happened too quickly?

REB: Not at all. Sometimes changing the environment is always a good thing and I deserved all of it. I was very under estimated in Vancouver and they didn’t see my worth so I had no option but move on. I went to Finland with a good attitude to work and use that as a stepping stone and it payed off. Learned a lot in Braunschweig and I am forever grateful for that opportunity.

SSPC: With the increase of skill Canada is finding itself with in the forward positions, what do you feel is needed to stand out from the rest of the pack?

REB: We have a lot of young goal scorers who are dangerous in front of goal and can almost score at any time. I can say the future is bring but the only thing missing is consistency in front of the goal. If we can improve that I believe we can compete with almost anyone. We certainly have the players for it.

SSPC: What do you feel could be done to improve the Canadian program for future generations?

REB: The program has already made a huge step and I honestly think it should stay the way it is now. For the first time we actually have a system in place and its not an overnight thing but we players and the staff just have to keep working together and I believe the fans will see good results soon.