Jarrod Smith took the long route to Toronto FC, one that included a stint all the way back home in New Zealand, and the way he has played so far has caught the attention of head coach John Carver.
"Jarrod of all the younger players he's the one that's really caught my eye from nowhere and impressed me," Carver said after a TFC training session at BMO Field this week.
Carver likes Smith's versatility. He can play right midfield or at forward.
Smith already has scored a goal this season. It came in the third game of TFC's Major League Soccer season, a 3-2 away victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy on April 13.
TFC took Smith, 23, with the first pick of the 2007 MLS supplemental draft after he had played at West Virginia University. But he had a hamstring injury from his college career and then re-injured it at the combine workouts preceding the MLS draft.
"When I was drafted by Toronto I was still injured and I couldn't come to preseason," Smith said. "By the time I finally got myself fit it was kind of late so I missed the boat for last season."
He had trials with teams in Sweden and Belgium but the hamstring problems hampered him in these attempts. While receiving rehabilitation for the injury at WVU he also trained with Baltimore of United Soccer Leagues' second division for about a month did not sign with that club.
He is from Havelock North in New Zealand and he returned to his native country for rehabilitation and wound up playing for Hawke's Bay United.
"I was hoping I would get my chance to come up for this preseason, which happened and get myself a deal," he said.
He signed a developmental contract with TFC that was announced on March 19.
"I've just got to keep getting myself stronger and try and put the hamstring behind me," Smith said.
He has found working with TFC strength and conditioning coach Paul Winsper helpful because much of his rehabilitation elsewhere was not soccer specific.
In fact, he was on his way into the gym at BMO for more work immediately following training.
He has played for New Zealand's Under-20 and Under-23 teams and made his debut with the senior national team in February of 2006.
Instead, he could easily have gone on to a career in cricket. His father, Ian, was a famous New Zealand cricketer.
"When I was young that was always my ambition was to play cricket or soccer for New Zealand and I got to play soccer," he said.
The shadow of his father's accomplishments made it easier for him to choose soccer over cricket.
Now he is trying to fulfill another ambition, which he said was "to come overseas and make my own name."
Chris Cummins who recently left his post as director of youth football for financially troubled Luton will be at BMO Field this week as a candidate for a coaching job with Toronto FC. Cummins worked with Carver at Luton and in Tuesday's training had one group of players in one half of the field while Carver worked with the other group in the other half.
Carver is looking to hire two coaches, one to work with the academy and the other with reserve team with both also working with the first team.