

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

February 3, 2015 Email

Steve Bottjer

On Twitter:

@BottjerRNO

With Brazilian striker Gilberto expected to follow Jermain Defoe out the door into the ranks of ex-TFC players, the Reds striker corps is already sure to have a very different look in 2015.



Even with Jozy Altidore penciled in as a sure starter when fit and Robbie Findley and Luke Moore in the pole positions to line up alongside the American Designated Player in the starting eleven, TFC Academy graduate Jordan Hamilton will likely get his own chances in 2015 to demonstrate that he is ready for significant minutes up top.



Fresh off a busy first year as a professional player in which he was loaned to USL PRO affiliate Wilmington Hammerheads and Portuguese side Trofense and a jam-packed offseason in which he suited up for the Canadian U20 National Team, the 18 year old is now hoping that his current match fitness will see him in a good spot with respect to impressing for the Reds during the MLS preseason.



“I came back from Portugal and then went straight to the national team,” Hamilton told RedNation. “I then had a small Christmas break for about a week and a half and then I was back with Canada to prepare for U20 World Cup qualifying. After that tournament I had one day off and then it was straight into preseason training camp (with TFC.) So I feel very fit and I’m ready to take my opportunities if they come.”



“I’m ready and I believe in myself,” Hamilton added. “I’m ready to take on anyone for the position. It is a job now and you have to score goals and earn your spot.”



While still a teenager, the Toronto native describes his first season as a professional player as one in which he grew as both a player and a person, with his loan stint to Portugal in particular being something that allowed him to mature and gain a new perspective.



“I learned a lot both life-wise and tactical-wise,” the Hamilton explained. “I also learned that not everywhere is as good circumstance-wise as MLS and Toronto. I learned a lot in the soccer sense – positional stuff, how to fight, holding up the ball and things like that. It really taught me a lot and made me a tougher player.”



As the talented 6 foot 1 striker now aims to make his mark with his hometown club, Hamilton admitted he would like nothing better than to follow in the footsteps of Kansas City’s young striker Dom Dwyer, who has established himself as one of the top young forwards in MLS.



“I watched him play for Orlando in the USL and saw him absolutely killing it,” Hamilton said. “Then he took his chances in the MLS playoffs against Houston. That is what the game is all about. You have to take your opportunities when they come and prove yourself. He did exactly that and he continues to do that. He’s definitely a role model in this league to look up to.”



Of course, just as he did last season with seasoned top level forwards such as Jermain Defoe and Dwayne De Rosario suiting up for Toronto FC, Hamilton won’t need to look far for role models within his own squad.



As a Canadian International, Hamilton has previously expressed his ambition to be a striker who is both a starter at the club level and a core player for his national team, which is essentially the type of player that his new teammate Jozy Altidore is now for Toronto FC and the United States National Team.



“I haven’t had the chance to meet Jozy yet,” Hamilton said. “However, you just have to look at his resume – he has done so many great things for the United States and for his club teams in Europe. He is definitely someone I want to learn from – just as I did with Jermain Defoe – and just take everything in and go from there.”



Regardless of how many minutes he plays for Toronto FC or how many goals he scores, Hamilton is not shy in admitting that much of his development will likely occur away from the pitch in 2015.



With Toronto FC having recently instituted a Sport Science department headed up by Jim Liston, there will now be plenty of focus on the 18 year old Hamilton’s physical development going forward.



“I’ve been speaking with Jim about getting into the gym and improving myself,” Hamilton explained. “You have to take yourself to another level in the MLS. It is no longer about playing youth football for me, as there won’t be any more U17 or U20 games with Canada either. I will now only be playing against men. You really have to elevate every aspect of your game so you can be a better player.”



“It is Jim’s job to tell me what to do and I just have to do what he tells me to do and put my trust in him to make me a better athlete,” he added. “That is his area of expertise and he gets paid to do that. I’m a big boy already, so I don’t want to get oversized and slowed because my speed and mobility are very important parts of my overall characteristics as a player.”



Ultimately, as a young player, Hamilton is aware that the main focus for both him and Toronto FC on 2015 will be on what is important for his ongoing development as a rising talent. However, the teenaged phenom is nonetheless hopeful that his continuing progress can run concurrently with him banging in goals for a Toronto FC side that will once again be playing amid heightened expectations.



“As a player you always have to keep improving regardless of how far you have come along,” Hamilton said. “Improvement should never stop and you should never be satisfied with where you stand as a player. So there are a lot of things that I want to improve this season. However, this year I definitely want to get an opportunity and make an impact for Toronto FC.”