Two-year deal keeps Impact striker in fold
Striker Anthony Jackson-Hamel got two bits of good news Thursday.
First, the Quebec City native signed a two-year contract extension with the Montreal Impact, including an option year for the 2020 season.
Second, technical director Adam Braz announced it’s unlikely the club will sign Alberto Gilardino, the aging Italian scoring machine who has been training with the Impact this week.
That cleared the way for the 24-year-old Jackson-Hamel to keep his spot as the team’s starting striker, at least until another Italian forward, Matteo Mancosu, returns next week from a hand injury.
“I had conversations with other clubs, but now it’s done and I’m happy we came to an agreement,” said Jackson-Hamel, whose contract was to expire at the end of this season. Only two weeks ago, Jackson-Hamel said he was ready to play elsewhere if the Impact wasn’t interested and that he felt ready to be a regular starting striker in Major League Soccer.
The 6-foot-1 forward has made only six starts this year, but is second on the team with seven goals. He also has three assists in 15 overall appearances. He has arguably outplayed Mancosu, who has three goals in what has been a disappointing season following his high-scoring performance in the playoffs last fall.
“I just said the truth about my situation. I wasn’t playing games,” Jackson-Hamel said. “But I’m glad I signed here and can keep playing with the Impact.”
Jackson-Hamel is expected to start when Minnesota United visits Saputo Stadium on Saturday night.
“Jackson has shown great progress in the time he’s been with the first team,” Braz said. “He’s shown he can score at the MLS level and the next step is to be able to do it on a consistent basis and keep his performances high.
“And one thing he’s shown is that he’s not fazed, no matter what the competition is within the team. That’s good because it pushes the standards and raises the bar.”
He might have been bumped back to the bench if the club had signed 35-year-old Gilardino. The former Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina star’s 188 goals are tied for ninth in career scoring in Serie A, Italy’s top league. He won a World Cup in 2006 and a UEFA Champions League title with Milan the following year.
But his career is winding down. Last season, he failed to score in 14 league games for Empoli. He signed with Pescara in January, but played only three games.
“Alberto came here to train,” Braz said. “It’s a very short space of time in three days to evaluate, especially on the physical side, because he hasn’t played in so long.”
Jackson-Hamel has three goals and two assists in eight international matches for Canada, including a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Jamaica in Toronto on Sept. 2.