Toronto FC forward Jozy Altidore has left the door open to a possible departure from the club.
The defending Major League Soccer champions were knocked out of playoff contention following a 2-1 defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps and, speaking after the match, the United States international hinted his future could be at another club.
“It’s not in my hands,” he said. “I’ve tried to show every night I stepped on the field since 2015 when I arrived, to give everything I could, all the time.
“[I] tried to play for the fans, for my family, for everybody that has followed this club. I’ve done what I can.
“If my future isn’t here, it’s been nothing but a pleasure. I thank the fans for all the support through the years and all the best in the future.”
Altidore, who spent time in La Liga with Villarreal and enjoyed two spells in the Premier League with Hull and Sunderland, joined Toronto in 2015, scoring 44 goals in 85 regular season matches.
Having won back-to-back MLS Cups in 2016 and 2017, Toronto are struggling this season as they sit ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. And, while Altidore has said he feels they have been unlucky, he insists the quality is still there.
“I feel like it’s a blip,” Altidore said. “Lightning stuck 40 million times.
“I can’t help but think that there is still something here. These things happen. Any organisation that strives to do special things, you have a season like this that tests you.
“We were tested a lot. It matters how we come back next year, how we all respond — if we’re all around.”