Mark Bircham Talks About Training/Trialing with MLS's Toronto FC and re QPR

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Toronto FC bring Bircham in for trial
By Mark Polishuk / MLSnet.com Staff

TORONTO -- A familiar face to Canadian soccer fans has been present at Toronto FC's training the last few days. The haircut, however, is different.
Marc Bircham's current conservative brown locks are a far cry from the dyed white streak that used to adorn the center of his head, while the rest of his hair was colored either blue or red, depending on his club.

"I changed it when my brother got married," said Bircham. "I was best man, and his wife said, 'For pictures, would you get it back to normal for a little bit?'

"It felt nice being normal again." he added with a laugh. "I could go around to the shops again and not be recognized. No away fans got wound up when they saw me."

Bircham's change of hair style is symbolic of the change taking place in his soccer career. With his contract with England's Queens Park Rangers expired, the 29-year-old is currently deciding on his next step.

Bircham arrived in Toronto last Friday to train with Toronto FC for the week at the invitation of coach Mo Johnston. Bircham's arrival at BMO Field was the latest step in a courtship between the defensive midfielder and the MLS club that has gone on since late 2006.

"Mo contacted me around Christmas, and asked if I would fancy playing for Toronto," Bircham said. "Once my contract with QPR was up, it was the end of the season and it was brought up again. So my agent contacted Mo, Mo contacted me back and asked me over for a week to see what it was like."

Bircham said he has enjoyed training with the team, particularly friends Jim Brennan and Danny Dichio, the latter of whom Bircham has known since he was 11 years old. Attending Toronto FC's 2-1 win against Colorado last Saturday was also a good introduction for the Englishman to the Toronto MLS experience.

"The atmosphere was like an English game," Bircham said. "I was really impressed with it. You come to Toronto where there are so many European ex-pats ... it's a mixture of the Italian supporters, the Croatian supporters, the English supporters, and so on."

Bircham is something of an international hybrid himself. Though born in Brent, England, he is a Canadian national. His paternal grandfather was born in Winnipeg as his great-grandparents made their way across Canada working as builders. He was originally called to play for Wales in 1999, as his grandfather was thought to have been registered there once the family returned to the United Kingdom.

This situation was noted by the English newspapers, which attracted the attention of the Canadian team's then-general manager, Les Wilson. Bircham was invited to play for Canada, and has recorded 17 caps in his international career.

Bircham holds a unique international distinction, as he is considered to be the first player to have scored a goal for his country without ever having actually set foot on that nation's soil. In his first game for Canada, Bircham scored the tying goal in a 1-1 draw with Northern Ireland in Belfast on April 27, 1999.

The midfielder is an 11-year veteran of English soccer, playing six years for Millwall and the last five seasons with Queens Park Rangers. Leaving QPR was a blow for Bircham, as he had followed the team since childhood. His tenacious play (not to mention his choice of hair color in QPR blue-and-white) made him a fan favorite with the West London club.

"It'll always been my second love, after my family," Bircham said. "QPR will always be close to my heart. But I didn't get on well with the chairman, so that was a big issue. Ian Holloway, the manger who I got on with, left. They tried to sell me last summer and I didn't want to go yet. From then on, I made the decision that I'd play the year left on my contract and then I was going to leave."

Bircham's 2006-07 was cut short due to hamstring injuries and back surgery in February. He said he is at full health again, and ready to contribute to a new club.

Johnston no doubt hopes that club will be TFC. The summer transfer window opens on June 15, and the coach has hinted that Toronto will be making a few moves to bolster the roster.

"We have an opportunity to pick up certain things if we utilize it properly," Johnston said. "There's a lot of names being thrown at me.

"[Bircham] has done OK in training," he added. "I'd like to see him in a game. ... You can certainly see he can play. We'll be talking to him today, tomorrow and Wednesday and we'll see what happens."

Bircham said he is returning to England at the end of the week to visit a few more clubs, and then he will discuss his career options with his family. Wherever Bircham ends up, however, it is clear that Toronto's burgeoning reputation as a passionate soccer city has made an impact on him.

"I've been speaking to people in town and they've been waiting for it for ages," he said. "This is their club and they have something to represent, and they're loving it."

Who knows -- perhaps Bircham will soon be coloring his hair Toronto FC red.

Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs. MLS