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Football / Collin's off to MSL with Mojo's Toronto.
« on: June 21, 2007, 01:43:29 PM »
Collin's off to MSL with Mojo's Toronto.
Exclusive By: Hugh Keevins.
I'll have the shirt off your Becks.
What do Collin Samuel and David Beckham have in common? Both are now members of the MLS. Becks may have left the Galacticos of Real Madrid to become Tom Cruise's neighbour while playing for Los Angeles Galaxy but Samuel isn't exactly slipping into obscurity after signing a fouryear deal with Mo Johnston's Toronto.
Now he's looking forward to squaring up to the superstar's side - then asking for his jersey.
Samuel said: "I've been handed an exciting new challenge. And the first part of that might be trying to get Beckham's jersey after his side play Toronto.
"But I've got the feeling I won't be the only opposition player who'll want that special souvenir at the end of every game Galaxy play from the time when he arrives in the States.
"Toronto meet the LA Galaxy on August 5 but before then I'll have to get used to the cultural differences between football in this country and Canada.
"I could jump on the bus with Dundee United on a Friday night and travel to Glasgow for an overnight stay if we were playing Celtic or Rangers. But now I'll need to get used to seven-hour flights to away matches, longer than it will take me to fly from Scotland to Canada."
But Samuel is relishing the move and the new challenges he will face.
He said: "The league in America is no longer the place where players nearing the end of their careers go to graze.
"Beckham going there will give the MLS added credibility but the fact Toronto and other clubs are moving out of grounds meant for other purposes and building their own stadia says a lot about the scale of investment in the game on the other side of the Atlantic. Toronto have 15,000 season ticket-holders and I'm delighted to say Mo thought I was worth signing after he saw me in one training session.
"I'll always be grateful for the time I spent in Scotland with Falkirk and Dundee United but now I've been handed an exciting new challenge."
Samuel's agreement with Toronto is worded in the way of all MLS contracts, with the undoubted exception of Beckham's new deal.
At the end of each season both parties are allowed to part company with each other if there are any misgivings of any description and Samuel said: "I'm willing to take my chances under those terms. I've had a good time in Scotland but I turned down all four offers that came in for me to stay in this country when my contract expired at Tannadice.
"I've watched Toronto play once and the MLS is a different ball game to the Premier League. It's less furious and not so physical.
"Time will tell if it's the right move for me but it was a chance I couldn't turn down."
Samuel's agent, Raymond Sparkes, who gambled by underwriting the cost of the player's trip to Canada in the first place, has no doubts about the move.
He said: "There have been people who've said Collin could have played for Real Madrid beside Beckham if he'd had greater consistency to add to his talent and pace.
"But now he's joining a manager who's doing positive things with Toronto and provided an inspirational environment for Collin to work in.
"He's taken a bold step that other players from the SPL have refused to take."
Toronto bid for their first away win of the season when they take on Steve Nicol's New England Revolution tonight. Johnston's side lost 4-0 when the teams last met but have improved since then and beat FC Dallas 4-0 at home last weekend.
Toronto signs Trinidad striker Samuel.
Toronto FC Media Relations.[/size]
Toronto FC announced Tuesday that they have signed forward Collin Samuel to a three year MLS contract. As per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Samuel joins Toronto FC after playing to the end of his contract with Scottish Premier League team Dundee United.
"We're excited to have him on board, I tried signing him two years ago when I was in New York," said Head Coach Mo Johnston. "He's strong, he's fast, he can play left side, he can play right hand side and he can play through the middle. He's a great edition to our team, having Dichio and Cunningham already."
Samuel, 25, began his career with Doc's Khelwalaas of Trinidad where he was a member of the team from 1998 to 2000. After moving to one of Trindiad's largest clubs San Juan Jabloteh, he opted to head to Scotland and signed with Falkirk in August of 2002.
The forward moved to Dundee United the next season and spent 3 seasons at Tannadice, scoring 14 goals in domestic action.
Samuel is also a big part of Trinidad's national team, having made his debut December 8, 2001. He was a member of the team during the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was called up to the World Cup squad in 2006 in Germany. He started in the game against Sweden and helped his side to an impressive 0-0 finish.
Exclusive By: Hugh Keevins.
I'll have the shirt off your Becks.
What do Collin Samuel and David Beckham have in common? Both are now members of the MLS. Becks may have left the Galacticos of Real Madrid to become Tom Cruise's neighbour while playing for Los Angeles Galaxy but Samuel isn't exactly slipping into obscurity after signing a fouryear deal with Mo Johnston's Toronto.
Now he's looking forward to squaring up to the superstar's side - then asking for his jersey.
Samuel said: "I've been handed an exciting new challenge. And the first part of that might be trying to get Beckham's jersey after his side play Toronto.
"But I've got the feeling I won't be the only opposition player who'll want that special souvenir at the end of every game Galaxy play from the time when he arrives in the States.
"Toronto meet the LA Galaxy on August 5 but before then I'll have to get used to the cultural differences between football in this country and Canada.
"I could jump on the bus with Dundee United on a Friday night and travel to Glasgow for an overnight stay if we were playing Celtic or Rangers. But now I'll need to get used to seven-hour flights to away matches, longer than it will take me to fly from Scotland to Canada."
But Samuel is relishing the move and the new challenges he will face.
He said: "The league in America is no longer the place where players nearing the end of their careers go to graze.
"Beckham going there will give the MLS added credibility but the fact Toronto and other clubs are moving out of grounds meant for other purposes and building their own stadia says a lot about the scale of investment in the game on the other side of the Atlantic. Toronto have 15,000 season ticket-holders and I'm delighted to say Mo thought I was worth signing after he saw me in one training session.
"I'll always be grateful for the time I spent in Scotland with Falkirk and Dundee United but now I've been handed an exciting new challenge."
Samuel's agreement with Toronto is worded in the way of all MLS contracts, with the undoubted exception of Beckham's new deal.
At the end of each season both parties are allowed to part company with each other if there are any misgivings of any description and Samuel said: "I'm willing to take my chances under those terms. I've had a good time in Scotland but I turned down all four offers that came in for me to stay in this country when my contract expired at Tannadice.
"I've watched Toronto play once and the MLS is a different ball game to the Premier League. It's less furious and not so physical.
"Time will tell if it's the right move for me but it was a chance I couldn't turn down."
Samuel's agent, Raymond Sparkes, who gambled by underwriting the cost of the player's trip to Canada in the first place, has no doubts about the move.
He said: "There have been people who've said Collin could have played for Real Madrid beside Beckham if he'd had greater consistency to add to his talent and pace.
"But now he's joining a manager who's doing positive things with Toronto and provided an inspirational environment for Collin to work in.
"He's taken a bold step that other players from the SPL have refused to take."
Toronto bid for their first away win of the season when they take on Steve Nicol's New England Revolution tonight. Johnston's side lost 4-0 when the teams last met but have improved since then and beat FC Dallas 4-0 at home last weekend.
Toronto signs Trinidad striker Samuel.
Toronto FC Media Relations.[/size]
Toronto FC announced Tuesday that they have signed forward Collin Samuel to a three year MLS contract. As per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Samuel joins Toronto FC after playing to the end of his contract with Scottish Premier League team Dundee United.
"We're excited to have him on board, I tried signing him two years ago when I was in New York," said Head Coach Mo Johnston. "He's strong, he's fast, he can play left side, he can play right hand side and he can play through the middle. He's a great edition to our team, having Dichio and Cunningham already."
Samuel, 25, began his career with Doc's Khelwalaas of Trinidad where he was a member of the team from 1998 to 2000. After moving to one of Trindiad's largest clubs San Juan Jabloteh, he opted to head to Scotland and signed with Falkirk in August of 2002.
The forward moved to Dundee United the next season and spent 3 seasons at Tannadice, scoring 14 goals in domestic action.
Samuel is also a big part of Trinidad's national team, having made his debut December 8, 2001. He was a member of the team during the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup and was called up to the World Cup squad in 2006 in Germany. He started in the game against Sweden and helped his side to an impressive 0-0 finish.