By Frederick Halley
CLOSE to one year ago, former Canadian national player Dwayne De Rosario called it quits as far as competitive soccer was concerned following an 18-year stellar career which saw him receiving many accolades both on and off the field.

Now that his playing days are officially over, De Rosario, like he did during his international career, is dedicating much of his life to assisting youths not only in Canada but around the Caribbean as well.
Born of Guyanese parents, the 36-year-old De Rosario is currently conducting clinics in Barbados, having previously done similar exercises in Jamaica in the early part of last year and also in Guyana during the latter part of 2013, which was his first visit to his parents’ birth place.
De Rosario’s visit to Guyana then coincided with the Chico/Kashif & Shangai Secondary Schools football tournament and was made possible through the involvement of organisers Kashif Muhamad and Aubrey “Shangai” Major.
De Rosario also spent some time in Mali volunteering with the United Nations Foundation to help spread awareness and provide bed nets to rural communities to help prevent malaria.
The Toronto-area native left the game having won four Major League Soccer (MLS) Cups (2001, 2003, 2006, 2007), MLS MVP honours in 2011 with D.C. United, MLS Cup MVP honours in 2001 and 2007, and was named to the MLS Best XI six times (2005-07, 2009-11).
Speaking after his final game for Toronto FC, an emotional De Rosario declared: “It’s never easy to hang up the boots from the game you’ve grown with and loved. I am extremely grateful for everything this sport has provided for me, my family and my community.
“Every day I trained and competed and I always tried to show my appreciation through my hard work and dedication. It’s been a dream come true for me as I feel blessed to retire in my hometown with my home fans, family and friends that have supported me every step of my career.”
The attacking and prolific mid-fielder, who started his career with San Jose Earthquakes in 2001, made a name for himself on the Canadian and International circuits over the years. He moved to Houston Dynamo in 2006 where he spent three seasons.

In 2009, he brought his talent to Toronto FC before becoming a part of the New York Red Bulls in 2011 and DC United from 2011 until 2013 before returning to Toronto for a final burst in 2014.

Earning the reputation as a clutch player in the MLS, his career tally includes two game-winning goals in MLS Cup finals, both for which he received MLS Cup MVP, and two game-winning goals in MLS All-Star games against foreign oppositions, including West Ham United.

In June, 2009, he scored a hat-trick to put Toronto FC ahead of the Montreal Impact 3–1. Toronto had to win the game by four goals to win the Canadian Championship and move onto the CONCACAF Champions League, which they did after defeating Montreal 6–1.

The following year, after a horrible first half away at Houston and down 1–0, De Rosario scored two unanswered goals in the second half, both coming from free kicks including one in stoppage time, which kept the team’s 2010 playoff dreams alive.

De Rosario made his Canadian National debut in May 1998 against the Republic of Macedonia at the age of 20 prior to playing for the Uner-20 team in the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In 1999 he represented Canada at the XIII Pan American Games in Winnipeg and was part of Canada’s Gold Cup squad since the North American team won the tournament in 2000.
In 2007, De Rosario won the male Canadian Player of the Year award for the third consecutive year after scoring five goals in eight games, the most in a year for the Canadian men’s national team since John Catliff in 1993.

De Rosario was picked for his first CONCACAF Gold Cup in four years, after being selected by coach Stephen Hart in May 2011 for the 23-man tournament roster.

After a disappointing 2–0 defeat to United States in the opening game of the group, Canada failed to exit the group with a 1–1–1 record, managing a mere two goals, both from De Rosario at the penalty spot.

De Rosario continued his goal scoring with two goals in the opening stage of 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, with one against Saint Lucia and the other against Saint Kitts and Nevis.. His goal against Saint Kitts, was his 19th international goal which tied him as Canadian all-time top goal scorer with Dale Mitchell.

He copped the 2011 Canadian Player of the Year award, receiving 47.7 per cent of the votes, with Simeon Jackson placing second and Josh Simpson finishing in the third spot. The achievement marked the fourth time De Rosario had been so honoured.

In September, 2012 De Rosario scored his 20th goal for Canada in a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Panama making him the all-time leading goal scorer for his country.
As a 14-year-old De Rosario rejected an offer from AC Milan after a successful trial due to him not being ready to commit to living in Italy. He began his professional career in 1997 at the age of 18, signing with the Toronto Lynx of the A-League.
Halfway through the season, however, De Rosario opted to change clubs, signing with German side FSV Zwickau. After two seasons with Zwickau, De Rosario opted to return to North America, signing with the Richmond Kickers in 1999. After a slow 1999 season, in which he registered two goals and five assists, De Rosario exploded in 2000, contributing 15 goals and five assists while leading the team to a 20–6–1 record.
De Rosario’s advice to aspiring footballers is “don’t think your dream will drop on your lap, you got to get up and go after it. You don’t need fancy equipment, just need your will power.”