Ryan Nelsen just can’t help himself. It seems like another Brit is heading to Toronto FC.
This morning reports in Scotland have Scottish international defender Steven Caldwell heading to Toronto FC on loan until June 30, when his contract runs out at current club Birmingham City.
Caldwell has featured for clubs such as Newcastle United, Wigan, Sunderland, Burnley and Birmingham City in his career as a no-nonsense center back. The 32-year-old defender has appeared in 38 games in the Championship this term.
So what can Toronto gain from adding Caldwell? Quite a lot.
He is an experienced defender who has excelled in the EPL and the Championship, captaining sides and winning 12 caps for Scotland throughout the years.
Working with him a few months ago, I can say that Caldwell is a likeable character who is a student of the game and perhaps has one eye on a coaching, perhaps following in Nelsen’s footsteps.
The Scotsman captained Birmingham for much of this campaign, but fell out of favor in March and with his contract running out this summer, a loan deal until June 30 is a great pickup for TFC.
Over the next few months they can get a feel for Caldwell as a player and if he impresses, they can pick him up as a free agent. It seems like another shrewd piece of business from Nelsen, who is proving quite the wheeler and dealer in the transfer market.
With the addition of DP Matías Laba to central midfield, Nelsen is assembling a team that is truly horrible to play against. Full of fighters who won’t let you have a minute’s rest on the ball/ But as we saw against Colorado this weekend, silly mental errors late in games is costing TFC.
They sit second bottom in the Eastern conference but this season is all about rebuilding. That said, with a solid foundation and more strength in depth than ever before, Nelsen must be hoping his side can push for the playoffs.