Soccer: Toronto eager to bring back Brockie

Jeremy Brockie. Photo / NZPA

Jeremy Brockie is due to return to Wellington at the end of the month but Toronto are keen to get the Phoenix and All Whites striker back next year and might even be preparing a bid to secure him on a permanent deal.

The 25-year-old has spent the past three-and-a-half months with the MLS club coached by former All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen and made enough of an impression for Toronto to inquire whether they could keep him for longer.

He has scored only one goal in 13 appearances but impressed with his work ethic and approach as Nelsen tries to turn Toronto into a competitive outfit after years of underachievement.

Nelsen has made considerable change since being appointed in January including shipping out players he didn't want and bringing in others that fit his methods but also a US$2.95 million (3.64 million) salary cap.

"He's not our property," Nelsen said recently of Brockie. "Of course, I'd take him in a heartbeat but, unfortunately, we don't dictate the terms, [Wellington] do. We'll just have to go from there. Whatever happens ... I don't think it'll be the end of Jeremy Brockie in a Toronto FC shirt."

Brockie was tremendous in a poor Phoenix outfit that finished bottom last season, scoring 16 goals in 24 games to finish as the league's second-top scorer, and the club weren't prepared to extend the loan deal this time around. He still has two years left on his present contract and will soon be under the watch of new Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick.

Wellington kick off their A-League season against Brisbane on October 13 but step up their pre-season campaign next week when they head to Australia for a handful of games.

"They made some inquiries about making the loan deal permanent, which we knocked back pretty quickly because we are obviously looking for Brocks to come back and be a mainstay in the team," said Wellington chief executive David Dome, who is interested in establishing a relationship with Toronto on both a football and commercial level.

"Obviously a 16-goal-a-season striker is gold so Ernie wants to base the team around him ... and we have had no further advances from Toronto. "I think initially they might want to put together another loan deal for him and we would look at it at the time. A permanent move? I don't know."

Brockie had been expecting to take a long break like the rest of his Phoenix teammates but received a surprise call from Nelsen asking him if he was keen to play in the off-season for Toronto. He's well travelled, having played for the New Zealand Knights, Sydney FC, North Queensland, Newcastle and Wellington but has never played professionally outside the A-League.

"I have learned a lot. I would have liked to have scored a few more goals but I think they have been reasonably happy with how I have performed.

"I'm still under contract with Wellington for another two seasons but I have enjoyed my time here and there is some interest in Toronto bringing me back. Obviously a lot can change between now and the end of the next A-League season but I'm looking forward to coming back to Wellington and making sure we don't have a repeat of what happened last season."