May 14, 2008 - 02:07

By Al Rivett

PICKERING -- For the first time in his 17-year professional soccer career, Pickering's Paul Peschisolido doesn't have a team to play for come July.

The 37-year-old striker, who began his English soccer career in 1992 with Birmingham City and has played in more than 500 games during those years, is pondering his next move as he's currently a free agent.

"One or two clubs have shown interest, but I haven't decided what to do," notes Peschisolido, who was in Pickering for a few days last week to firm up details for his Pesch's Premier Academy in July. "I'm 37 now, so I'm getting on."

The affable and well-spoken soccer star, who speaks with a pronounced English accent, is currently recovering from a tear to his Achilles tendon, which effectively ended his season after only two games with Luton Town, where he signed a one-year contract. To add insult to his injury, he admits he received bad advice about the nature of his injury, which only served to lengthen the recovery process.

"Yeah, it was a shame, but I've been pretty fortunate with injuries in the past. It was one of those things. It was mismanaged. Had (Luton Town staff) diagnosed it early on in the season, I would have had surgery and recovered from it. As it was, I had surgery at Christmas time.

"I'm working on my recovery now and working on rehabilitation. I want to get it (Achilles tendon) strong. It's the off-season anyway, so I'll be re-assessing it come July."

Certainly, Peschisolido doesn't believe his pro career is over. In fact, he muses out loud about returning to Canada, where his pro career began with the Toronto Blizzard of the old Canadian Soccer League, and possibly joining Toronto FC where he knows many of the players and coaches from English squads.

"I've worked with (Toronto FC head coach John) Carver and (Toronto FC assistant coach Chris) Cummins and it would be nice to catch up with them and have a training session. Maybe they'll offer me a contract. It's something that seems like a natural progression. I started off my soccer career here and I could finish it the same way. It would be nice. I'm proud of my roots here. (Toronto FC) is doing well and the fan support is fantastic, so I wouldn't rule out anything."

As much as returning to his Canadian roots is appealing, Peschisolido admits he's very much entrenched in English life, where he and wife, Karren Brady, have resided in Birmingham with their two children, Sophia, 12, and Paolo, 9, for the past 17 years.

Although not ready to hang up his soccer shoes, Peschisolido's nonetheless already planning for his post-playing career. He's currently partners in a company called RSR Sports Management with long-time associate Rob Segal that represents English players. As well, he's acquired his UFA 'B' licence for coaching, which he earned last summer. He'll eventually go for his 'A' licence, which would allow him to manage at the highest levels of soccer.

"I wouldn't rule out being a coach. I've been involved in soccer my whole life, so it would be difficult to go cold turkey. It's what I know and all I know and I want to be involved as long as I can and I've taken steps to do that."

His career to date has been interesting and varied, playing with eight English teams, including Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion, Fulham, Sheffield United and Derby County, as well as earning 53 international caps with Canada. He's thankful his career has mostly allowed him to remain living at home in Birmingham with one exception: four years with Fulham FC and living in London during the season.

Peschisolido's proudest moment among many as a 'footballer' was his four seasons with Derby County. In his fourth and final season there in 2006-07, he helped the Rams advance to the championship final at the new Wembley Stadium. There, Derby defeated his old team, West Bromwich Albion, to earn promotion to the Premiership.

"It was an amazing place to play and it was great to play there. It was a fabulous day."

He's also proud to say that throughout his career he's been embraced by the fans of the clubs where he's played. He believes his playing style (Peschisolido is known for his non-stop hustle on the pitch) played a key role in earning the fans' adoration.

"I've been fortunate that at every club I've been the fan favourite. I don't know what it is, but they take to me right away. Some guys don't have a rapport with the supporters and it takes a toll on them," says Peschisolido, who notes he's like his hockey-playing cousin, Mike Ricci, who was also known for his spirited play. "People won't criticize you if you're having a terrible game if you're trying. If the effort is there, people can forgive it. If they don't see sweat on the T-shirt, they don't think you're giving a full effort."

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