Richie Laryea reportedly considering return to Toronto FC
By Paul Taylor
OneSoccer’s Andi Petrillo is reporting Canadian international Richie Laryea would like to return to Toronto FC, but how likely is it to happen?
Update: Olympic medalist and former Canadian football international Kaylyn Kyle has confirmed Richie Laryea — who she is friends with — is not looking to return to Toronto FC:
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When Richie Laryea was transferred from Toronto FC to Nottingham Forest at the start of this year, it was meant to represent a dream move. To date however, his time in England could be perceived as somewhat of a nightmare.
At the time of posting, Laryea has yet to make an appearance for Nottingham Forest. As a result he is apparently considering a loan move to see some playing time, possibly motivated by the upcoming final round of World Cup qualifying games.
According to Andi Petrillo of OneSoccer, Laryea would like to return to Toronto FC. The question is, how feasible is this?
As Petrillo pointed out, the main challenge to Laryea’s apparent desire, is the MLS Allocation List and the process he would have to go through to. More specifically, as per MLSSoccer.com, TFC is only 13th in the ranking order.
As such, it’s fair to think at least one of the 12 clubs ahead of Toronto FC would be interested in an international player who was one of the best fullbacks in MLS last season. In addition, how likely is Nottingham Forest to let Laryea return to North America?
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Despite not playing yet in England, the 27-year-old has made a positive early impression. As per Sarah Clapson of the Nottingham Post, Laryea is very much in manager Steve Cooper’s plans.
In fairness, there is also the question of if TFC themselves would be interested in bringing Laryea back into the fold? There is a verified youth movement taking place in Toronto, which relevantly includes two new starting fullbacks in Jacob Shaffelburg and Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (albeit both getting used to playing in a new position).
All this aside, Olympic medalist and former Canadian football international Kaylyn Kyle believes Laryea is better off remaining in England and fighting through this adversity. Speaking on OneSoccer, Kyle said the Toronto native has been in a similar situation before, but is a hard-working and determined player who is in the right environment to learn and succeed.
Ultimately, it is certainly understandable why plenty of people would like to see Laryea back wearing a Toronto FC jersey. However, it is unlikely to come to fruition, although this writer would have no issue with being proved incorrect.
What is your opinion of the Richie Laryea speculation? Would you be on board with him returning to TFC, or do you prefer to stick with the current options at fullback? Let us know in the comments section below.