The Halifax Wanderers have signed teenage Canadian/Trinidadian midfielder Caden Trestrail to an Exceptional Young Talent contract through the 2028 CPL season with a club option for 2029.
Trestrail, 18, is a top player emerging from Trinidad and Tobago, representing the country at the U17 and U20 levels. A goal-scoring midfielder who can also play on the wing, Trestrail was born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, but has Canadian citizenship through his grandparents.
“I’m beyond excited to be a part of this group full of quality players and to play in the CPL because it’s a very competitive league with high levels of opposition that I’m excited to compete against,” Trestrail said. “I think Halifax is a great place for me to take the next step up because of the players and coaches that can help me develop along with the amazing connection between the fans and the team.”
From Diego Martin, Trinidad and Tobago, Trestrail played his youth football at Fatima College, where he was the league’s top-scoring midfielder during the 2024 season. He went on to sign with Defence Force in the Trinidad and Tobago Premier Football League at just 17. Trestrail made several appearances for the first team during the 2025-26 season, before a mid-season move to San Juan Jabloteh, where he tallied two goals and three assists in eight matches.
He began his international career at the U17 level, representing Trinidad and Tobago at the 2025 CONCACAF U17-Championship, scoring once and tallying two assists in four matches. He has since gone on to play with the U20 national team, making an additional four appearances.
“There are two things that really impressed me with Caden: his technical proficiency and his understanding of the game at a level above most players his age,” Wanderers head coach and general manager Vanni Sartini said. “He is a very young player but someone we’re really excited about as we work to develop him at the CPL level.”
The Exceptional Young Talent designation, implemented in 2023, allows a CPL Club to sign up to three additional Under-18 domestic players to Standard Player Contracts outside of its 23-man Primary Roster. A player designated as an Exceptional Young Talent is eligible to remain in the category up to and including the year he turns 21 years old. For the 2026 league season, new players signed under this designation must be born Jan. 1, 2008, or later to be eligible to be signed as an Exceptional Young Talent Player.