“I’ve been super impressed. I would say it’s on par with or better than Spanish football and I think what Barcelona is proving right now in the ELF is that Spanish football is really good as well,” Merchant said. “There is talent out there and I think with these countries that are considered lower down in the football world, it comes down to coaching. If you’ve got a good coach and you have the guys around, I think that Hungary can prove that they’re one of the best countries in Europe.”
“What I’m really excited about is that I get to coach kids and develop the game there as well,” Merchant said. “That’s always been a passion of mine, being able to help people find the love of the game that I did at a young age, and then just get to live in a great city… How many times do you get to go Australia and live there for five months and it’s not really on your own budget?”
It’s a lifestyle he’s grown to love and while he once dreamed of playing professionally back home in the Canadian Football League, now he’s not so sure. His brief training camp stint with the Montreal Alouettes left a sour taste in his mouth that could only be washed away by playing in an environment he felt wanted.
“I never got a chance. I was treated completely unfairly, in my opinion. I didn’t get any reps at training camp, they brought me in for media purposes and got rid of me saying, yeah, we’ll bring you back next year,” he notes. “Obviously it didn’t happen.”
While young players like Merchant’s occasional training partner Nathan Rourke and former college rival Tre Ford are proving Canadian quarterbacks can excel at the highest level, Merchant may be better off for the opportunity he missed.“I’m 100 percent confident that I have the talent. Will I ever go back and get that opportunity? I’m not sure, because I do really enjoy my life right now,” he said. “Getting to travel all over the world playing the sport I love and there’s so much uncertainty with the CFL all the time right now, is it worth it to try and come back? It’s always a question I’m thinking about.”
In the end, it doesn’t seem to matter about the size or reputation of the league Merchant finds himself in. Championship contention always follows his arrival.