Leading the side out in the Estadio Agustín Muquita Sánchez in Panama last month, a major sense of pride swept over Canada U20 Men’s National Team midfielder Luca Uccello.

Handed the captain’s armband for the contest against their Panamanian counterparts, the Toronto FC II standout embraced the opportunity to continue the leadership role he’s taken for the team in the build-up to the 2017 CONCACAF U20 Championship.

“It was probably one of the best experiences of my life,” said Uccello. “Anytime you can lead your country and push on with them, it’s great. I’m trying to be a leader as best I can with the U20s and being one of the most experienced guys on the team. It’s always good to be a leader, and I’ll be looking to push on the guys in the next couple of weeks.”

As one of the older members of the squad, Uccello’s leadership role with the Canada U20s has mirrored his position with Toronto FC II, for which he has made 42 regular-season appearances in the USL over the past two seasons. His 20 appearances this past season included three goals and two assists as he split his time between club and country duties.