TORONTO – Dwayne De Rosario just wanted a chance to say thank you to local fans who supported him during his national team and club career.

So when Toronto FC approached De Rosario, who announced his retirement as an active player last month, about holding a testimonial match before the Reds’ home game against New York City FC on Saturday night, he jumped at the chance.

De Rosario, a 37-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., called it quits after a pro career that started with the Toronto Lynx in 1997 and saw him win four MLS Cups, be named to the MLS Best XI on six occasions, and win the league MVP award in 2011. De Rosario was also named the Canadian player of the year four times, and helped Canada win the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Before Toronto FC kicks off against New York, De Rosario and some of his former teammates—and opponents—will get together at BMO Field at 3:00 pm ET for a testimonial game. The match is in recognition of De Rosario’s service to both TFC and Canada—he is the all-time top scorer for both the Reds (28 league goals) and the Canadian national team (22).

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But for De Rosario, Saturday’s event isn’t so much about him, but about him giving back.

“It’s an opportunity for me to show my appreciation to the fans, and show them what they’ve met to me in a very respectful way. I hope to make it a fun day for everyone where we can all enjoy the nature of a sport that’s meant so much to all of us,” De Rosario told Sportsnet in a one-on-one chat

“I played for myself, but I also played for the fans. I played because they supported me and they encouraged me, ever since I started out with the Lynx. They’ve shown so much passion for the way I played during my career. I always appreciated that.”

De Rosario put together the rosters for Saturday’s game, sending out invites himself. Players scheduled to participate in the game read like a who’s who of Canadian soccer: Paul Stalteri, Adrian Serioux, Ali Gerba, Paul Dolan, Lyndon Hooper, Julian de Guzman, David Edgar, Simeon Jackson and Tosaint Ricketts.

International participants include Kei Kamara, Amado Guevara, Juan Pablo Galavis, Danny Koevermans, Brian Ching and Danny Dichio.

“It’s nice to see so much support from those guys to come in and play this game. I’m very grateful they took time out of their busy lives to share this weekend with me. I’m humbled,” De Rosario admitted.

There’s one person in particular that De Rosario is especially looking forward to playing alongside. De Rosario ranks sixth in all-time scoring in MLS with 104 goals. One of the few players ahead of him on that list is former D.C. United teammate Jaime Moreno, who ranks third overall with 133.

“The career he had was amazing. I never really got to play with him much in D.C. But I’ve always had a great deal of respect for him. When you talk about guys who have built this league, his name has to be mentioned,” De Rosario opined.

One invitee has ruffled some feathers, though. Queens Park Rangers winger Junior Hoilett was born and raised in nearby Brampton, but he has turned down opportunities to play for Canada. For years Hoilett has been very cryptic and non-committal when asked about his national team ambitions—in addition to Canada he qualifies to play for Jamaica through his father, but he has as of yet to pledge his international allegiance to one nation.

With this in mind, some notable Canadian soccer pundits have questioned why De Rosario would invite Hoilett to play in this testimonial. De Rosario defends the decision.

“People have so much going on in their lives that we don’t really know about (so) we don’t know why people do what they do. All I know is this: he’s a good player and a friend, and that why I brought him,” De Rosario offered.

De Rosario added later: “This is the first time, really, that we’re going to be able to see Hoilett play in Canada, and me being able to provide that is great. No matter what people say, he’s Canadian and he respects this country. For me, to bring him here, it’s special.”

Saturday’s match is special for De Rosario because his father Tony will serve as one of the team coaches.

“He’s the pivotal reason why I’m at where I am today. Me growing up in a broken home, he supported me unconditionally in pursuing my soccer dream as a kid. He was the driving force behind my success—literally driving me all around Ontario—and he was my coach, and very tough one at that,” De Rosario said.

“When I was young we always butted heads because I wanted the special father-son treatment from him and I thought I was a star. But he made me see something that I needed as I grew up, and that was regardless of who you think you are and who you know, you have to work hard in order to get where you want to go. He instilled that into me.”

The former Canadian international admits he wrestled with the decision to retire and that he initially struggled with the transition into his post-playing career. But he doesn’t regret walking away when he did.

“It was something I was thinking about the last two years. Last off-season as I spent more and more time with my kids, and saw how they’re getting older and all the time I missed, I realized it was enough. I’d done a lot for soccer in Canada, which I will continue to do, but it’s time commit full time to my family,” De Rosario explained.

Since retiring, De Rosario has worked for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in an ambassador’s role. And although he has yet to hear from or reach out to the Canadian Soccer Association, he’s willing to lend them his support in any way he can.

“I’m here to help, and everybody knows that. One thing about me, the most important thing is getting the men’s team to qualify for the World Cup, developing the game at the grass roots level, and providing more knowledge and chances for our young players to develop,” De Rosario offered.