Former Toronto FC midfielder Will Johnson believed he was embarking on a long-term relationship when he signed with the Reds in December 2015.

But a little more than a year after the Canadian international was acquired by his hometown team, Johnson joined Orlando City FC as a free agent, signing a two-year deal, with an option for a third, late last month.

Johnson said he leaves Toronto — and teammates he really enjoyed — “very disappointed.” The reason? The team, Johnson said, never gave him a fair chance to get back into the lineup when he returned from an injury he suffered while scoring a Canadian Championship-winning goal in late June.

Talks with Reds president Bill Manning and general manager Tim Bezbatchenko never got off the ground after Johnson became a free agent in early December, he said.

“I was very honest with them,” Johnson said. “I told them that I felt disrespected in terms of getting an injury, sacrificing myself for the group, and then I felt like I never received a fair chance when I got back.”

Johnson played a full 90 minutes in all but three of Toronto’s first 15 regular-season games last year. He ensured the Reds’ only trophy of the season on June 29 after launching himself at a loose ball dropped by Vancouver Whitecaps keeper David Ousted in the Canadian championship final. The injury-time goal gave Toronto the title on away goals, but Johnson broke a bone in his leg on the play.

By the time he was available again, for the final 10 regular-season games, Toronto had signed another central midfielder, Armando Cooper. Johnson logged only three more starts for the Reds on the way to the MLS Cup final in December.

Johnson said other teammates didn’t face new competition when they returned from injuries.

“Clint (Irwin) got hurt, they didn’t go out and get another goalkeeper. Michael (Bradley) got hurt, they didn’t go get another centre mid. Seba (Giovinco) got hurt, they didn’t go get another striker,” he said.

“For whatever reason, (TFC coach) Greg (Vanney) didn’t give me the same fair shake he gave everybody else who got hurt. And especially the way I got hurt, making the sacrifice for the club, made it an easy decision for me to walk away.”

Reports that Johnson left Toronto simply based on playing time are misconceived, the midfielder said. His new coach, Jason Kreis, has not promised Johnson he will be on the field next year.

“No coach in the world ever guarantees any player in the world playing time,” he said. “In terms of that kind of stuff, I think Toronto actually does more than other teams with Sebastian, Jozy and Michael not coming off the field.”

Johnson said he would have happily sacrificed his starting role if he felt it was done in a respectful way, with the “right conversation” both on and off the field.

Now, though, he’s looking forward. Orlando offers a new stadium, a reunion with Kreis (who he played under for five years at Real Salt Lake, winning an MLS Cup in 2009), and the challenge of a club still in its infancy.

The 28-year-old said his year in Toronto was a step in the right direction personally, another advancement in his recovery after a broken leg while playing for the Portland Timbers in 2014 threatened to derail his career completely.

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And Johnson is very grateful to the fans that supported him along the way.

“I wanted to stay but sometimes things just don’t work out and it’s better to walk.”