Ashtone Morgan Retires

Veteran Canadian defender Ashtone Morgan has announced his retirement from professional football.

The midseason decision follows a stretch where he’d missed seven of his last eight matches, with his final appearance seeing him make a ten minute cameo against expansion side Vancouver FC.

The veteran defender has made 41 appearances for the hammers in all, scoring a sole goal in a three-nil win over Pacific last season, with the left-back helped Forge lay claim to its third North Star Shield in 2022.

This year he’s made fourteen appearances in all, though only one of them came as a full ninety.

Known fondly as ‘Mr. Toronto’ for the amount of time he spent with hometown side Toronto FC, Morgan’s career has made him a recognizable face to Canadian soccer fans from coast-to-coast: he spent the first ten years of his career with Toronto FC after graduating from the club’s academy system, making 168 appearances and helping The Reds to four Canadian Championship titles and a historic treble-winning season in 2017.

See Also: Morgan On Champions League Deja Vu, Forge, And A TFC Reunion

Morgan, who has also made 18 appearances for the Canadian national team, then spent two years with Real Salt Lake, where his influence was limited to just nine appearances in league action and a few trips to the club’s USL affiliate.

His return to Canadian soil with Forge saw him make his club debut in the Champions League, with the veteran defender proving to be a key voice in the locker room alongside former TFC teammate Kyle Bekker.

The hammers have a hefty selection of players who have occupied the left flank this season, with Haiti international Garven Metusala and Forge original Dominic Samuel proving options in a back four, while Kwasi Poku and and Malik Owolabi-Belewu also had stints, with Manjrekar James even covering that flank in a back three.

With a few days left in the midseason transfer window, it remains to be seen if head coach Bobby Smyrniotis will secure a roster reinforcement in the coming days.

“It has been great to play for Hamilton for my last days and my last years, and win,” said Morgan to CanPL.ca regarding the announcement. “Coming to this winning club and playing for Bobby and be with Bekker and Borges and all the guys all over again. It has been an amazing experience and I have been so happy to be here.”

Ashtone Morgan’s rise to prominence came at a pivotal point in the growth of Canadian soccer: he proved that local products had what it takes in a local pathway to professional soccer that was still emerging with Toronto FC, and twelve years later that continual growth allowed him to continue his career in a league that simply hadn’t existed when he first entered the game – more recently, Doneil Henry

Outside of professional football, Ashtone has proven to be quite entrepreneurial with his own coffee shop, The Sonddr, which just opened a new location at 1068 Dundas West. Now that he’s hung up his boots, he’ll be able to dedicate himself further to the next chapter of his life.

“It has been a hard decision, but it is a beautiful decision for myself and my family and everything for my future right now,” adds Morgan.