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Player: Clint Irwin
Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Clint Irwin grew up in love with the beautiful game.
Clint Irwin climbed the ladder as a young goalkeeper all the way to the college level where he attended Elon University to play four years of college soccer while also putting time into two years of playing for the Carolina Dynamo, a USL PDL team. After college, Clint joined Capital City F.C. in 2011. Following the 2011 season Irwin joined the Charlotte Eagles, another USL PDL team where he played there for a season.
His MLS time came in 2013 after a great preseason trial, when he was selected to join the Colorado Rapids. During his 3 years in Colorado, he made 89 appearances with 25 shutouts. In 2016 he was traded to Toronto FC, where he currently has 15 appearances in this ongoing season with six shutouts. Here are 18 questions with our new featured player Clint Irwin!
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How old are you? 27
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How did you get into soccer? I grew up playing in my local YMCA league then moved up the youth ranks. I've been playing my whole life it seems.
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What is one skill you think every player needs to cultivate? Mental toughness.
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For the young goalkeepers out there, what advice would you give them if their dream is to play at the next level? Keep playing. Get yourself into as many games and game situations as possible. Work on improving your technique in every session.
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Who were your soccer heroes growing up? No real heroes growing up. I just enjoyed watching the game.
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What was your "welcome to the MLS" moment? Playing in front of 30,000 people in Seattle.
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What was it like being selected to be on the MLS All Star team? Well, it came kind of last minute but it was very cool to be a part of the festivities and to be on the roster with so many great players.
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What is the best save you've ever made, and what was the best goal scored on you? Best save ever made: 2014 against Seattle late in the season, we were down and the game was over but Osvaldo Alonso tried to chip me from about midfield and I was able to get good footwork in and make a touch over the bar. Best goal scored on me was probably Obafemi Martins, Seattle against Colorado.
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How can the MLS continue to build upon its success and rapid growth? Continue to invest in the players and the developmental system to improve the product.
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Do you think the developmental system in the United States is on the right track? Yes, it's a unique challenge. The country is massive and there's alot of good players here. We need to trust the good coaches and continue to identify talent and reach talent that historically haven't had access high level youth soccer.
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You've done some writing in the past for the Telegraph, how did you get into that? In Colorado, our PR guy had a contact with the editor and they reached out to see if I wanted to write something. I said, "Sure!" That's about it.
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Who is the best FIFA player in the dressing room? Mo Babouli
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Who was the hardest shot that you've ever faced? Kamani Hill
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If you weren't a goalkeeper, what position do you think you would play and why? I would definitely try to play, either forward or center back but I'm not sure if I'd be good enough to play pro. I think I could play at the college level in the field.
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Who and what music do you listen to before games? Depends on what I'm feeling on the day but it could be anything from Clipse or Kanye to Deafheaven to whatever's hot in the streets right now.
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What other activities do you enjoy when you're not playing soccer? I like to read, I like to hike and camp
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How many times have you been asked if you're related to Steve Irwin? Too many times to count
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Where will we see Clint Irwin in five years? That's too hard to say, check back in five!