Matt McGloin Raiders Jersey .com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs try to push their season-opening win
streak to three straight games on Saturday night as they play their home
opener against the Ottawa Senators. Willie Brown Raiders Jersey .
Team second Marc Kennedy and lead Ben Hebert plan to leave Martins rink
after this season to join reigning national champion Kevin Koe.Jermain
Defoe is expected to arrive in Canada this weekend to complete his
transfer to Toronto FC from Tottenham Hotspur. The England international
will put the finishing touches to his move to North America for an MLS
record transfer fee, in excess of $10 million, and earn himself a bumper
pay packet thought to be around $150,000 a week.
Defoes signing will end a long courtship between the club and player
which included London meetings with team management back in October, his
mother being hosted by the club for a week in Toronto last fall, and
phone calls from rapper Drake to help persuade Defoe to make the move.
News of Toronto FCs interest in the striker was first revealed on MLS on
TSN in October, and at the time, my colleague Kristian Jack asked TFC
Head Coach Ryan Nelsen about his interest in signing his former Spurs
teammate:
"Jermain Defoe in this league? Look what Di Vaio has done! My goodness -
incredible player," Nelsen raved. "One of the most natural goal scorers
I have ever come across. Always out training, always trying to score, a
great guy. To get a guy like Defoe for MLS, I cannot think of many that
are more suited. It would be incredible," he said.
While Defoe has been out of favour at Tottenham this season and has seen
only limited playing time, he still has ambitions of making Englands
squad for this years World Cup in Brazil. He has scored 19 goals in 55
appearances for his country and was involved throughout the recent World
Cup Qualifying campaign.
Once the deal is completed, it is likely he will head back to England on
loan for a couple of months. He could be loaned back to Spurs, but
there is also a possibility he will return to his former club Weest Ham
United. Seth Roberts Raiders Jersey. When he does pull on the Red jersey, he will join a squad that has
been undergoing a significant and impressive remake under new General
Manager Tim Bezbatchenko.
Defoes signing is not only a positive step because of the impact he can
have on the pitch. It is a signal that finally the management of the
team can deliver on promises. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment
President Tim Leiweke has been extremely vocal about his desire to sign a
big name player for this club. Where others have failed in the past,
Leiweke will have delivered.
The man who signed David Beckham for LA Galaxy set his sights on making a
splash at Toronto FC within days of joining the organization. "You
cannot make a mistake on a DP," Leiweke said last summer. "You have to
be right. Youve got to find a guy with character, a player thats able to
understand the uniqueness of Major League Soccer and the style of play
that we have here."
Defoe will be the second Designated Player signing of the winter for
Toronto, following on from 24-year-old Brazilian forward Gilberto. Those
two players will join experienced MLS additions Dwayne De Rosario,
Justin Morrow and Jackson in giving Toronto a new core of key players
for 2014.
Defoes arrival is a potential game-changer for this franchise. Through
seven years of turmoil Toronto FC has gradually lost the fervent support
it had when the club launched, while also seeing its credibility
disappear within Major League Soccer after a series of failures. Now,
for the first time, there is a realistic opportunity to turn things
around.
Toronto FC will open the clubs eighth MLS season on the road in Seattle
on Saturday, March 15.
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