By Canadian Press

Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo says he can’t wait to play for Toronto FC

Mar 25, 2019 | 1:15 PM

TORONTO — Alejandro Pozuelo hit all the right notes Monday in his formal introduction as a Toronto FC player.

The 27-year-old Spaniard, sticking to English wherever possible, said he wants to be here, doesn’t care to rehash the difficulties in extricating himself from KRC Genk in Belgium and can’t wait to play.

That will likely happen Friday when Toronto (2-0-0) hosts New York City FC (0-0-3).

Pozuelo said he had heard “very amazing” things about TFC and Toronto from former TFC star Victor Vazquez, a fellow Spaniard now playing in Qatar, and current defender Laurent Ciman, a Belgian international, among others.

The MLS side hopes that the Spanish sparkplug can help fill the void on offence left by the departures of Sebastian Giovinco (to Saudi Arabia) and Vazquez, who combined for 45 goals and 46 assists over the last two seasons.

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Team president Bill Manning said Pozuelo had been brought here to “pull the strings” on the Toronto offence, saying Vazquez himself had called Pozuelo “a young Victor Vazquez.”

“That was about as good as compliment as you can get with us, in our group,” Manning said. 

While Giovinco was not mentioned by name at Monday’s news conference, comparisons between the mercurial Italian and Pozuelo were hard to miss. 

GM Ali Curtis also made a point — at length — of citing Pozuelo’s team-first approach.

“One of the first meetings I had with Alejandro, I asked him about what he felt his strengths were as a player … He didn’t want to get into the specifics of the strengths and weaknesses of his game but he feels that his most valued attribute is the fact that he’s there for the team.

“And I think that that’s really important because when you’re really trying to build a cohesive team that can compete for championships, it’s important that the strength of the team is the team. And no one is above the team.

“The way in which we interact with each other and treat each other and connect with each other, within the dressing room as well from the players to the coaching staff to the rest of the staff to the fans, to the front office, is important — especially if we’re trying to be a single family here that’s a part of Toronto FC.”

Giovinco was many things — exciting, unpredictable, fiery and competitive all come to mind — but the former MLS MVP was never one of the boys. First off the practice field, he seemed to plow a single furrow.

His tantrums — from slapping stanchions in anger at being substituted to ill-timed social media posts — were seemingly tolerated. One wondered if lesser players received the same consideration.

Asked about an offer he got from a Saudi Arabian club, Pozuelo said Toronto was “the best option” for he and his family — further distancing himself from Giovinco.

“Also for the football. I think it’s very different. I think MLS is going up. There is, OK, a lot of money but (Saudi Arabia) is not interesting in football. This is my decision to come here.”

Gregory van der Wiel, a big-name acquisition last season, also didn’t fit in with the family approach, apparently. The Dutch defender exited last week after coming to terms on a contract buyout in the wake of a training camp bust-up with coach Greg Vanney.

Pozuelo trained with his new teammates in the morning before appearing at the BMO Field news conference.

The early reviews were extremely positive with Vanney saying he and assistant coach Robin Fraser couldn’t tell if he was left- or right-footed.

Canadian international forward Jonathan David, who plays for KAA Gent, was impressed by what he saw of Pozuelo in Belgium. 

“For me, a very good player,” David said in Vancouver prior to Canada’s win Sunday over French Guiana. “Very technical, creative and this guy can score goals, create goals when he wants. I think it’s something very exciting for TFC because he’s going to bring a lot to the team, in my opinion.”

Pozuelo will wear No. 10 for Toronto, following the footsteps of Giovinco, Robert Earnshaw, Mista, Alecko Eskandarian, Alen Stevanovic, Ali Gerba and Rohan Ricketts.

Manning said he hopes Pozuelo will be a focal part of the team for “four years at least.”

The difficulty in getting the Spaniard out of his Belgian club hinged on the timing of a release clause in his contract. There is no such clause in his TFC deal.

A native of Seville, Pozuelo started in the youth ranks at Real Betis, making his senior debut in 2011. In July 2013 he joined Swansea City of the English Premier League, where he had two goals and six assists in 36 appearances. Pozuelo returned to Spain a year later, joining Rayo Vallecano.

He signed with Genk in August 2015, collecting 25 goals and 60 assists in 175 appearances across all competitions.

The five foot-seven, 140-pounder joins captain Michael Bradley and striker Jozy Altidore as Toronto’s designated players. 

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With files from Gemma Karstens-Smith in Vancouver. 

Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press