With Father's Day coming up on Sunday, Mike Ulmer asked Toronto FC Director of Soccer Mo Johnston to tell us about his Dad.
My dad's name is Jimmy. He's 74 now. He was a professional soccer player. He's the one who pushed me toward the life he enjoyed as a young man. I used the word pushed to put things in perspective. There was a ball ready and waiting when I was born. Push was a fair description.
We lived in Glasgow and I never saw my father play. By the time I was old enough, my father had gone to fight in the war and returned home. He became a carpenter. My dad was and is a very good carpenter. He's a cabinet maker and his work has taken him all over the world, from Saudi Arabia to Sweden. Even though he traveled a lot, I remember him being there for us. He was very good at taking care of us.
My dad always had a way about him. He was a confident person but he's more comfortable standing in the background. He really showed me to prepare myself for the ups and downs that come with being a professional soccer player. He was great for me when I was a young person, when all the scouts and different people started showing up on my door. That began when I was 12 so I depended on him a lot for advice. He would pull me aside and tell me things, which always had a calming effect.
I was a little hot-headed when I was younger and a little clip behind the ears now and again went a long way. He's doing great, he's very healthy. I haven't seen him in a number of months but I hope to have him come here for the All-Star Game. He's very quiet, likes his old pub every now and again. I can't wait to see him.
