TORONTO – Bill Manning was on a mission to change the culture within Toronto FC from the first moment he stepped into the club’s training facility.

When he was appointed club president in 2015, Manning, who previously held the same role with Real Salt Lake where he won an MLS Cup in 2009, knew that this was a franchise still in the middle of a rebuild. And while the atmosphere within the organization wasn’t as toxic and dysfunctional as it once was – failing to qualify for the playoffs for eight consecutive years had that effect – he also knew a culture change still needed to take place.

To that end, Manning ordered that a trophy case be built. The individual glass cabinets are carved into the main wall of the players’ lounge with the titles “Canadian Championship,” “MLS Cup” and “CONCACAF Champions League” printed just above them. Also, a mural with the trophies TFC have won and still yet to claim was painted on the main wall of the training facility’s gym where the players work out.

If TFC was going to be a team that was going to win championships, then it had to start feeling like it was capable of doing it. Forget about the past failures and the “Bloody Big Deal.” This was a new era, one where was winning wasn’t an option, it was an expectation. You want to be a winner? Start thinking like a winner. Start believing you’re a winner.

In essence, Manning was saying that the trophy cabinets have been built — now it’s time to fill them. The message got through to the players, and it’s one they’ve kept in mind ahead of Saturday’s MLS Cup final against the Seattle Sounders at BMO Field.

“It’s crazy, because when you think about it at first, you say to yourself, ‘Obviously. Of course,’ and that maybe [the trophy case and mural] don’t need to be there,” midfielder Jonathan Osorio told Sportsnet. “Thinking about it now, and seeing it every day when you walk past it, and maybe there are times when you don’t consciously realize it, but seeing it every day, you’re reminded of the goal. The end goal. MLS Cup. So, when you see the trophy case and mural, your mind automatically goes there, and you start to live that. It’s imprinted in your brain.”

Defender Eriq Zavaleta concurs, maintaining that they serve as reminders of TFC’s goals and as a constant source of motivation.

“It’s a reminder of what there is left to accomplish. We want to fill that cabinet. We want to come in and see that MLS Cup trophy in that case,” Zavaleta said.

Fellow defender Drew Moor added: “We see it every day. …. We have some lofty goals this season. To see it every day, it reminds us what we’re here to achieve and what we’re here for.”

For fullback Justin Morrow, the trophy cabinets and mural represent more than just a reminder about the team’s goals. They are symbolic of something far greater.

“They represent the ambitions of this club, and it’s a daily reminder of the ambitions of this club. They bring in guys like Jozy [Altidore} and Michael [Bradley] and [Sebastian] Giovinco, they put reminders up around the training facility like that – it permeates into everything we do, and that this is what we’re here for,” Morrow offered.

When Manning told Tim Bezbatchenko he wanted to build the trophy case, TFC’s general manager said “everybody jumped on board right away.” Bezbatchenko liked the idea because he felt it was important to set goals and to challenge yourself.

“It’s about a daily attitude. It’s not about the 90 minutes on game day, it’s about how you approach every day. The game and the minutes that are played on the field are a reflection of the work you put in off the field all year. So, to have that in your face every day is a daily reminder of what you’re working for, and what you need to put out,” Bezbatchenko said.

Coach Greg Vanney also appreciated Manning’s attempt to help create a winning culture at Toronto FC.

“Everybody here knows why they’re here, and committed to filling up the trophy cases, and hopefully creating a longstanding successful club at TFC,” Vanney said