Amadou Sanyang's dream comes true

Gambian defender Amadou Sanyang has described his move to Toronto FC as "a dream come true."

The 17-year-old signed for the Reds on Tuesday but will not be able to become a full member of the Toronto FC senior squad until his 18th birthday in August. "I am very happy to be with the team," he told TorontoFC.ca. "Since I have been with Toronto it has been great and I have no regrets. I have seen a great family in this team. Everybody is good with each other and the big players always encourage the younger players. For me it is good to be here with them."

Sanyang, a native of Bakau, played for Real de Banjul in the Gambia First Division League before going to Toronto. "It is a big move for me because it is the first time in my career that I am moving from Gambia and signing as a professional," he said. "This is a good start for me to play for Toronto and it is one of my dreams to play with big players. I have seen great players in this team so it is a dream come true for me. The coaches are great people. I have seen different tactics and training sessions that I never had back home in Gambia."

"When I was a kid people used to say I was like the Italian legend Franco Baresi. When I started playing on the streets back home they started calling me by his name. Nowadays there are so many great players that I look towards." Sanyang was a member of the Gambian U-17 squad, and is currently part of the U-20 squad. He will be joined in Toronto by fellow Gambian Emmanuel Gomez who has signed from Samger FC of the Gambian First Division League.

Toronto FC, commonly known as TFC, is a Canadian professional soccer club located in Toronto, and the first non-American team in Major League Soccer (MLS).