

Posted by

Steve Bottjer ,

May 30, 2015 Email

Steve Bottjer

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A couple of weeks after letting the cat out of the bag via an Instagram post, Canadian soccer icon Dwayne De Rosario officially announced the end of his playing career at a press conference at BMO Field on Saturday.



De Rosario, 36, played 14 seasons in MLS with Toronto FC, San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo, New York Red Bulls, and D.C. United. He made 367 appearances, scoring 109 goals, with 82 assists combined in MLS regular season and playoff matches.



“I’ve always said that I came out kicking out of my Mom’s stomach and I haven’t stopped kicking up to this day,” De Rosario said. “I now have great memories that will last me for the rest of my life and I have been very blessed and fortunate to have had a very long career.”



After an incredibly successful career in which he won four MLS Cups, earned MLS MVP honours in 2011 and was named to MLS Best XI six times, as well as being named Canadian Player of the Year four times and finishing his career as the all-time leading scorer for both Toronto FC and the Canadian Men’s National Team, De Rosario will now fully transition into his role as a Community Ambassador for Toronto FC.



According to the Canadian soccer legend, while he has now hung up boots for good, his mission to promote the growth of the game in Canada and across North America will remain the same.



“TFC made my decision to retire very easy, with my new ambassador role,” De Rosario explained. “I will continue to be part of the growth and development of this sport in this country and helping to push this sport to the forefront of sports in this country. It will always be my mission to highlight the talent that we have locally in Toronto and across the country.”



“I have come to the point in my career where I can comfortably say that I have given the sport all that I can (on the pitch) and now on the outside there is even more to give back,” he added. “I grew up here in Toronto where there wasn’t a lot of soccer. But there were a lot of people who were passionate about the sport and who wanted to bring it to the forefront of sports in this country. We as Canadians are often passive when it comes to accomplishments of other Canadians. I think we need to really highlight the Canadian athletes and move them to forefront for younger kids to follow. If I’m going to be one of those guys, I’m very humbled by that.”



While the long-time Canadian International admitted that he had options to continue his playing career elsewhere, he was candid in stating that both family reasons and a desire to be at the forefront of the growing soccer community in Toronto were the two keys with respect to his ultimate decision to hang up his boots.



“I didn’t want to leave home or have my family travel again and go through all that,” De Rosario stated. “In my mind, I was at a place where I was very comfortable with my family life and I realized it was time to make a decision and a transition. I think I have a lot more to contribute to this game and I’m looking forward to the other side of the sport and continuing to develop the sport.”



In many ways, the heights that De Rosario reached in his career perfectly aligned with the growth of Major League Soccer as a league. Asked about his decision to play almost the entirety of his professional career in North America, the Toronto native admitted that he takes considerable pride in his role in growing the game and building the MLS, as well as raising the profile of the Canadian Men’s National Team.



“I think when we look back and see how this league has grown, it is amazing,” De Rosario said. “And it is continuing to get bigger and bigger with more fans.”



“I felt like I was a man on a mission,” he continued. “Europe was developed and obviously the number one sport there. I was focused on growing the sport here and I don’t think we can do that if all of the good players keep leaving. Don’t get me wrong – I had opportunities to go over there and play and some didn’t work out and I think that worked out for the better because I was able to stay here and help build this league and show everyone that people do appreciate this sport in North America and have passion for it and people do we want to see the sport grow across North America.”



While he will officially continue his career as a part of the Toronto FC organization, De Rosario also expressed a desire to continue working with the Canadian National Program as well.



“I think in some capacity I will be helping out,” De Rosario explained. “I’m a big supporter of what Benito (Floro) has going on. Obviously, it is a big year for us and I will be supporting them on their journey towards making the World Cup. As a kid growing up, that would be another dream come true. That is something I would desperately like to see Canada achieve. I’m here to help in any way that can and to share some of my experiences.”



In addition to his new role with Toronto FC, De Rosario will also continue the work that he has been doing with young athletes via his DeRo United Foundation. In the estimation of the long-time Canadian International, his foundation work aligns perfectly with his new ambassador position with TFC and his desire to promote the game in Canada.



“Through my foundation I’m working with inner city communities throughout the GTA,” De Rosario said. “Those are a lot of kids that don’t have avenues to pay for an academy or to pay to go to soccer. There is a lot of talent there. When you look in those communities they are global communities and a lot of those parents are coming from countries where soccer is number one.”



“When you go into those communities, you see some players with unbelievable skill,” De Rosario added. “If you think I am good, you should see some of those kids. These just need avenues and outlets and platforms to showcase their talent.”



TFC fans and Canadian Men’s National Team Supporters will get one more chance to see De Rosario’s famous shake n’ bake goal celebration when TFC holds a testimonial match at BMO Field for Canadian soccer icon on June 20th ahead of the club’s match against New York City FC. Fans with tickets to the Toronto FC match will have the opportunity to attend the testimonial match, which is scheduled to kick-off at 3:00 p.m. ET.