By Jonathan Soveta

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—Maicon Santos felt right at home during his brief time at Toronto FC. And why wouldn’t he?

The Brazilian scored 10 goals in 32 games over two seasons with TFC and helped the club win the 2011 Amway Canadian Championship when he secured the Golden Boot award as the tournament’s leading scorer.

Later that year he was traded to FC Dallas, and went on to spend time with D.C. United and the Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, and Mexican outfit Puebla. Now with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the second-tier North American Soccer League, the Brazilian often thinks back to his stint with the Reds.

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“It was one of the few clubs that I felt at home,” Santos told Sportsnet after a recent Rowdies’ practice Thursday. “We were like a family living in Toronto.

“It was the fact of feeling at home in a city completely different from where I’m from.”

When asked about what he didn’t enjoy about his time in Canada, the Rowdies’ newcomer struggled to recall some negatives.

“The things I didn’t like? That’s going to be difficult,” Santos said with a laugh. “I’ll have to say the cold. I didn’t complain too much about it, but to train in the morning with the cold at the time and the ice—it wasn’t easy.”

After being dealt to Dallas midway through the 2011 MLS season, Santos took pleasure in road games against the Reds. With many friends in the organization, it was always a great opportunity to reacquaint himself with the friends he made while playing in Toronto.

“You always have the experience of returning to play against the team there,” Santos said. “To again visit the city and to see some good friends that you haven’t seen in years and go back to the places you used to visit together.”

Not only known for his goals, Santos was also recognized for the leadership he brought to the franchise. The forward was named Toronto FC’s first non-Canadian captain by then-coach Aron Winter, a status he said he owned with honour and pride.

“The responsibility is huge to be the head of the family, the heart of the team,” Santos stated. “But I was very happy and I liked very much to be a part of it and to be the captain for that season.”

A well-travelled veteran, the striker’s career has seen him play all over the world with stints in Brazil, Tunisia, Libya, Israel, Mexico, the U.S., as well as Canada. For the coming season with Tampa Bay, Santos has set simple goals for himself.

“I want to offer the maximum help to my new family with the Rowdies, and to do everything possible to further my career,” the South American said.

Asked about thoughts of retirement, the 30 year old confirms he has no intentions to quit yet, but already knows what he’d like to get into when the time does come.

“To be honest, a professional soccer player is never satisfied when they retire,” Santos said. “Any time they stop they always ask themselves, ‘Why did I stop for?’

“I’d like to keep working in soccer. Who knows? Maybe even as a coach.”

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