FORMER JUVENTUS PLAYER Sebastian Giovinco has been crowned Major League Soccer’s Most Valuable Player for 2015.
The diminutive Italian experienced a remarkable debut MLS season with Toronto FC and single-handedly pushed his side to the play-offs for the very first time in their history.
Eyebrows were raised when the 28-year-old swapped the Old Lady for one of the most underwhelming and frustrating soccer franchises in North America.
But, he received a handsome salary ($7.11 million US) – more than Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – and took to the job with gusto.
In 33 appearances, he racked up 22 goals but added a further 16 assists too. Prior to the MVP award, Giovinco had already won the Golden Boot.
There were numerous pieces of magic throughout the campaign but two stand out.
Firstly, there was the magnificent goal that was ‘stolen’ from him by team-mate Jonathan Osorio against the Chicago Fire.
And there was the superb moment he conjured against the New York Red Bulls too. Having played for the Azzurri in a Euro 2016 qualifier on the Tuesday, he stepped off a plane just hours before kick-off on Wednesday evening.
He was sprung from the bench with twenty minutes left in the game and promptly produced this goal.
Toronto may have been eliminated at the first stage of the post-season but Giovinco was still the star of the MLS season, without any doubt.
Cab driver in Cork told me that when Keane signed for Man Utd, his dad came out of the toilet in the local pub with his lad in his hand saying, “Bet ye never thought this was worth 3 million pound”. I hope it’s a true story.
My favourite Keane quote is when his wife asked him how come he has his kids names tattooed on his arm but not hers. His reply was ‘I’ll never divorce them but I might divorce you’ :)
Not to be pedantic but I think it was ‘they’ll always be my kids…’
Dead right. I knew I was close
Happy Birthday Keano .
Mick McCarty “Where’s your respect?”
Roy “Where’s your first touch?”.
Video footage Football Gold…Keano love him hate him…still a LEGEND.
10 and 17 get my vote! Brill
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men……..”
Langer
Bogus dude!
Dude, I’ll send the evil robot us’s around to you.
13 14 and 20. Ya won’t beat a bit of Irish humour!
love them all, vintage Keano !!!
Happy birthday to possibly the last real hardman football will see
“in the middle of the perk”……