Former MLS striker Robert Earnshaw has broken silence about his move to Toronto FC and the events at the time that led him to sign for the Canadian team.
He joined Toronto FC as a 31-year-old in March 2013 from English team Cardiff City, immediately after concluding a loan at Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv that year.
Earnshaw, who also played extensively in England, is widely known as the only soccer player to score a hat trick in the Premier League, all three divisions of the English Football League, the FA Cup, League Cup, and for Wales in an international game.
That incredible achievement was quickly recognised by Toronto FC during his transfer to the Reds that year. The franchise’s President and GM Kevin Payne said about Earnshaw’s signing back then:
“Robbie is an experienced player who has been a consistent goal scorer for club and country. With his pace and craftiness we expect him to create challenges for opposing defences. We’re thrilled to have him join our team.”
Robert Earnshaw reveals how ‘unexpected’ move to Toronto FC happened
During an interview with BetVictor Casino on Monday, Robert Earnshaw revealed to Sportsnaut that he was always ready to play in the MLS but was actually unprepared for the phone call that made his Toronto move a reality.
“I was prepared because there were some things that I always wanted to do… However, I was not prepared for the call because it literally happened on a Sunday afternoon and it was a call from nowhere,” he said.
“I didn’t expect it and I wasn’t even thinking about MLS. So, in that way, it was brand new, completely surprised by the call. As you do with a lot of these things when you move, you get a random call saying, ‘Are you interested? But we have to move very, very quickly.’
Earnshaw further stated that while that phone conversation was unexpected, he was genuinely excited to join the team and play in the league.
“The crazy thing was it was a Sunday afternoon and on Wednesday morning I was arriving in Toronto. So, it was a move that I was ready for, put it that way. I was ready for it, and I think it really came at the right time.
“It was a league that I was excited for though. I actually did want to go out there and there was an excitement for me before I fully made the decision,” he added.
Robert Earnshaw scored eight goals in 27 games for Toronto FC during his time for the Reds. He also played in the MLS for the Vancouver Whitecaps and Chicago Fire.
