Life in Los Angeles appears to be agreeing with Chad Barrett.

During his 2½ years as a member of Toronto FC, Barrett looked as if he always had the weight of the world on his shoulders, such was the way he carried himself when he was mired in his now-legendary goal-scoring droughts.

But Barrett looked tanned and relaxed when he spoke to the media ahead of Wednesday's encounter between Toronto FC and the L.A. Galaxy that will mark his first match back in Toronto since he was traded by the Reds in January.

The American forward, who caught up with some of his old teammates over dinner Monday night, admits it's "going to be weird" to play at BMO Field as a member of the visiting team

"There may be butterflies, but those are butterflies of excitement," Barrett said. "I'm anxious to get out there. Toronto always treated me really well, so it's going to be a fun game for me."

Few players in the history of Toronto FC divided opinion as much as Barrett.

Despite a rash of injury problems, Barrett, who joined the Reds in a trade with Chicago in 2008, earned the respect of teammates and coaches for displaying solid commitment and possessing a strong work ethic, both in training sessions and in games.

He had a love-hate relationship with TFC supporters, often earning the abuse of fans who bemoaned his lack of finishing in front of net — he scored 16 goals in 65 MLS games, a paltry sum by any forward's standards.

Barrett has played in all five of L.A.'s games this season (making three starts), but is still looking to open his goal-scoring account for the Galaxy. He has seen limited playing time thus far (189 minutes in total), but there's a chance he could make another start Wednesday with veteran Landon Donovan questionable due to a knee injury.

'We have a bunch of great veterans'

An opportunity to fill in for Donovan, the team's best player, could provide a gateway to more playing time if he performs well. That would be no small feat considering the Galaxy's roster depth, which for Barrett marks the biggest difference between his new club and his old one.

"It's a lot different. It's a championship-calibre team. That's the way [L.A. has] always been," Barrett stated. "We have a bunch of great veterans on the team who really push the younger players to do a lot better. It's a lot harder fighting for a [starting] position."

Aside from being closer to his parents, Barrett indicated one of the benefits of moving to L.A. is being able to play alongside English star David Beckham, whom he called "a living legend."

"He's a big-time player. He makes big time plays. He's been great so far, Landon has been great, everyone has been welcoming," Barrett said.

Wednesday's game will be only Beckham's second in Toronto, his only previous appearance coming in the 2008 Major League Soccer all-star game.