As Lorenzo Insigne’s first press conference in Toronto wound down on Monday, the moderator announced that she would take one more question, and pointed to…
Very cute. But it begs the question: How deeply will the Toronto FC fan base fall in love TFC’s new star left winger over the next few years? The hope in the front office is — an awful lot.
“I played for 10 years with Napoli and with the Italian national team, I won the Euro Cup, so I don’t have any problem with pressure,” Insigne said through an interpreter. “I’ll have my actions speak for me on the pitch.” In 11 seasons with Napoli, the 31-year-old Insigne made 417 appearances, scored 114 goals and 95 assists across all competitions. His natural position is left wing, but he can also play as a striker and at left-midfield, giving Bradley a number of options.
Manning said signing Insigne has raised the profile of TFC worldwide to a level never reached before, hopefully making it easier to sign solid international players in the future. Indeed, also joining TFC in the next few days will be Genoa left back Domenico Criscito. TFC has yet to announce that deal, but is all but done. The 35-year-old left-back has played on Italy’s national teams since 2003 .