TORONTO – There is no such thing as job security for pro athletes, and Clint Irwin seems perfectly fine with that.
Toronto FC‘s starting goalkeeper has been out of action since March 31 when he suffered a hamstring strain, and he only recently returned to full training with the Reds. Although fully healthy, he’s not match fit, which means he likely won’t start Friday’s home game against the Houston Dynamo.
Alex Bono has capably deputized in Irwin’s absence, as he did last season when Irwin was out for close to three months with a quad injury, so there’s no rush to get him back into the starting 11. Besides, with a heavy May schedule on the horizon – TFC will play eight games during the month – there will be plenty of opportunities for Irwin to see game action and re-establish himself as the Reds’ No. 1 shot stopper.
“Hopefully over the course of May he’ll continue to get himself match ready. Clint is going to get games. I’m going to have to make a decision when it comes to that point. Clint has been the number one, and provided he shows he’s healthy and ready to go, I don’t see that changing,” coach Greg Vanney told Sportsnet after Wednesday’s practice.
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So, that’s settled then. Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Irwin is TFC’s starter, even though Vanney rotated between the two goalkeepers earlier in the season prior to Irwin’s injury. It’s Irwin’s job to lose, which is hardly a surprise considering he’s more experienced than Bono, and that the club acquired him via a trade with the Colorado Rapids last season in order to upgrade at the goalkeeper position.
But when informed of Vanney’s declaration, Irwin found little comfort in it, and maintained that he doesn’t assume that he’ll be the club’s starting goalkeeper going forward for the rest of this season.
“It’s good to have that confidence and realize you have that backing. But at the same time, it’s up to me to earn the starting role. There’s a lot of things that can happen … I don’t take anything for granted. I’ve seen how quickly things can change,” Irwin said.
“You still have to prove yourself. That applies to guys who have been injured and are coming back into the team. Injuries happen and you have to work even harder to show that you’re better than before getting injured.”
He later added: “It’s week to week. It’s up to Greg to decide who’s earned the spot. I can’t say I’ve earned it because it’s an open-ended competition.”
Irwin’s take on the situation is unique. There’s a long-held belief in pro sports that athletes shouldn’t lose their jobs as starters when they go down injured – that once they return to full fitness, they are entitled to go back into the starting lineup.
Irwin, though, doesn’t subscribe to that theory, even though he would clearly benefit from that line of thinking in the current situation.
“I have to show Greg I’m worthy of playing all the time. There are no guarantees. Every coach should make the decision on what he thinks his best team is and what he thinks gives the team the best chance to win,” Irwin said.
“Does that include, for an example, a [starter] who comes back from an ACL tear nine months down the road? Is he the best option to help the team win? I don’t know that that’s the case in every instance. It might be, but it might not be. So it’s up to the injured player to show to the coach that he’s ready to play and able to perform at the level needed.”
Irwin’s latest injury was a bit of a fluke, as his cleat got caught in the grass pitch at BMO Field while attempting to make a clearance. The rest of his body went over the top of his foot, and he tumbled hard into the ground.
“I felt something as soon as it happened, but then when I was down I didn’t feel a lot of pain. I’ve never had a hamstring injury of any sorts so I really wasn’t sure. I just knew it was really awkward and when I tried to get up it didn’t feel totally stable,” Irwin explained.
Irwin’s road to recovery this time around hasn’t been as arduous, mostly because the injury he suffered last season was far more serious. Still, the mental strain hasn’t been insignificant.
“It’s tough. It’s not so much the physical side of things; it’s more the mental side of being away from the team, and being on your own. It’s not what you sign up to do. You don’t want to be rehabbing, you want to be playing,” Irwin stated.
Irwin’s rehab process included gym work before he was even allowed to get back onto the field where he worked out on his own. Even though he wasn’t with the team, just being back out on the field proved to be therapeutic and buoyed his spirits as he eventually worked his way back into full training sessions.
“With me, what I notice is that when I’m out on the field, I get my competitive juices going. When you’re not playing, it builds up and you’re more tightly wound. So, it’s almost like therapy to be out on the field,” Irwin explained.
“For some athletes, it’s like going to the gym and hitting the boxing bag just to get some of that energy out. When you’re injured, it’s tough to find that outlet. That was one of the hardest part for me, being cooped up and not being able to get that energy out of me.”
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