

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

June 19, 2015 Email

Steve Bottjer

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It’s been an interesting, eventful and busy first year at the professional level for Toronto FC midfielder Chris Mannella.



The highly-touted 21 year old Toronto native made his first appearances with the Canadian Men’s National Team at the beginning of the year and he will soon suit up for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games being held in the Greater Toronto Area.



At the professional level, the Toronto FC academy graduate has been in the enviable position of being able to play significant minutes with USL Pro side Toronto FC II while also being integrated within the senior team for training sessions and matches.



According to Mannella, the opportunity to be part of both teams has been a boon to his development as an up and coming player.



“It is the best of both worlds,” Mannella told RedNation. “I’m here to grow as a player and as a professional and, whenever I can get the chance to be in the environment with the first team, I will take it and I will learn as much as I can from the players like Michael and Jozy and everyone else.”



“Things have gone well,” he added. “TFC II has been doing well and has had some decent results. The team had a draw in the last match, which was a well-earned point. I wasn’t there but I happened to see the match. And when I am on the bench with first team I’m learning a lot from all the guys and taking away what I can.”



At Toronto FC II Mannella is the team captain of a young USL Pro side that often faces off against opposition squads with older and more experienced players. With that in mind, the Toronto native believes the inherent challenge in that dynamic can only be beneficial for him and the other on the rise players on the squad.



“We are young but there is a lot of quality in our team,” Mannella explained. “We just have to help each other along the way and show each other that this is still a professional league and we have be fully professional even though it may not be as high a level as the MLS. We have to keep each other under control and make sure that we get results and listen to what (TFC II Head Coach) Jason (Bent) is telling us.”



The Canadian International was quick to praise his USL Pro Head Coach as a vital influence within the Toronto FC organization.



“Jason is a fantastic coach,” Mannella said. “I had the chance to train with him a couple of times when I was with the TFC Academy and he was still a coach with the academy. He is player’s manager and a guy I really look up to because he was a midfielder and he played at the highest level and represented our national team for the longest time. He definitely knows the ins and outs of the game. I really love playing for him. He is a guy that really thrives on the midfield working together and playing out of the back.”



With respect to players on the TFC senior team, Mannella has two absolutely tailor made mentors in experienced top class central midfielders Michael Bradley and Benoit Cheyrou. In Mannella’s estimation, both players have already been massive influences with respect to the improvements he has made as a player since turning pro.



“I’ve developed quite a bit even from the first day that I signed,” Mannella explained. “Being in this environment is like nothing else. Having players like Michael and I keep harping on it is because he is such an influence and I watch him all the time, as well as Benoit (Cheyrou). Guys like that are something to aspire to. I have developed and I’ve learned to pick up the pace a bit because it is a lot faster than it is at the academy level. I’ve learned when to pick up the pace and also when to slow the game down.”



“I even looked up to Michael before he was at this club,” he added. “Playing in my role and also in an attacking role, he is someone you can’t help but look up to. He works hard for ninety minutes every time he is on the field. Michael is a class act and definitely a guy I look up to.”



Interestingly, even more so than their obvious quality on the pitch, Mannella has been most impressed by how Toronto’s FC most famous and high paid players function off the pitch, in the dressing room and as among the most hardworking and hungry players on the squad.



“They are really down to earth guys,” Mannella said. “They are just normal people and they are very humble. They are very hard working and that is a huge thing. We always joke with guys like Mike, Ben and Seba that there are no tight spaces for them on the field. They get out of situations that people do not think they are able to. Looking at stuff like that, it is what I aspire to do and what I am working on.”



With Toronto FC players like Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Jonathan Osorio and Ashtone Morgan expected to miss a significant number of matches in July due to International duty at the Gold Cup, Mannella was quick to admit that he feels ready to step into the Toronto FC lineup and put to use all of the things he has learned since signing on with the Reds organization last September.



“Any opportunity that I get is an opportunity that I have to use to show the coaching staff what I have,” Mannella stated. “The guys are going to go and represent their countries and the Gold Cup is such an important tournament. If that means, I have to step in (with TFC), I will take that opportunity with open arms.”