Toronto FC have acquired goalkeeper Clint Irwin in a trade from the Colorado Rapids, the clubs announced on Monday.
In exchange for the 26-year-old goalkeeper, the Rapids received targeted allocation money, Toronto’s highest pick in Tuesday’s third round of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft (currently No. 15, 56th overall) and a conditional first-round pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. Per league and club policy, the rest of the terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Improving our defence has been a stated priority for our club this offseason. Bringing in Clint helps to solidify our defensive group, and with Clint on board we are confident in our collection of goalkeepers across the first team and TFC2,” said Toronto FC general manager Tim Bezbatchenko in a statement provided by the team. “We are very excited about what Clint will add to our group and look forward to his quick transition into our team, which is aided by his familiarity with Drew [Moor] in Colorado.”
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Irwin joins Toronto FC after spending the first three seasons of his MLS career with the Rapids. With Colorado, Irwin made a combined 92 appearances with a 30-39-23 record and registered 25 clean sheets across MLS league play, MLS Cup Playoffs and the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Irwin was also named to the 2015 AT&T MLS All-Star game roster.
Prior to his time in MLS, Irwin played collegiately at Elon University. After finishing his college career in 2010, Irwin spent a year playing in Ottawa, Canada with the short-lived Capital City FC before signing with the Charlotte Eagles of USL. He then moved to Colorado prior to the 2013 season after a successful trial.
“Clint has been the consummate professional during his time with our club," said Paul Bravo, the Rapids’ vice president of soccer operations and technical director, in a team statement. “On behalf of everyone, I would like to thank him for his contribution on and off the field and wish him well for the future.”
The Rapids have recently been linked with a move for longtime US national team goalkeeper Tim Howard.
