The Journey of Jimmy B

Most journeys start with a step - for Jim Brennan, it started with a kick. And lots more, directed at anything that moved. Spotting his potential, his mother enrolled Jimmy in local soccer by the time he was 4. And once he saw that black-and-white ball, he never looked back.

Most kids growing up in Southern Ontario carry around hockey sticks, but Jimmy carried a ball - everywhere he went. Most kids pledged allegiance to the Leafs or the Sabres, but Jimmy was all about Celtic and Liverpool. Passion separates players from champions, and even from a young age, Jim Brennan had enough passion for soccer to be one of his country's greats.

He played for local youth teams like Newmarket, Bradford and the Woodbridge Strikers. It wasn't long before his province and country came calling and he was representing Ontario and Canada at the youth level.

But Jimmy had his professional sights set on The Football League. And so at 16, this gutsy kid from Newmarket packed up and flew to England for a trial with Bristol City. The City players knew Jimmy was gunning for a place in the side, so they tried to get in his head. People told him that a young Canadian kid couldn't hack it in English football. They were wrong.

His hard work impressed the City coaches enough to earn a contract. When he signed, the rest of the squad realized Brennan's dedication to the club and his love for the sport. And Jimmy couldn't help but smile at the thought of how many people had doubted a Canadian's chances in The Football League.

Jimmy loved every moment of his career in England. He played hundreds of matches with 5 different clubs.

But coming home to Ontario to captain Toronto FC was an experience unlike any England could offer. Every time he wears the armband and leads his team onto the pitch, he gets the same goosebumps and butterflies that he did against the Wizards in TFC's first home match. Standing before 21,000 proud Canadians singing the national anthem that first day at BMO is a moment he'll never forget.

Brennan knows that the only way to truly honour those Canadian supporters is to bring the MLS Cup home to Canada. To him, the fans deserve nothing less.