TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS:Retirement
Longtime MLS stalwart Jason Hernandez has announced his retirement following a 14-year career that stretched across five clubs and included a 2017 MLS Cup victory with Toronto FC, two Supporters' Shields and two Canadian Championships.
Hernandez, 35, will move into Toronto's front office as their first manager of player engagement, the club revealed on Tuesday.
“I want to thank all the players, staff, and supporters here at Toronto FC for making my time at the club an incredibly memorable one," said Hernandez, who made 18 league appearances in Toronto over his last two seasons, in a statement. "It is bittersweet to say goodbye to the game I love after 14 seasons. I am humbled to have represented some great clubs in this league and will cherish the memories created at each one."
In his new role, Hernandez will be responsible for the creation and launch of an alumni program with past players and re-integrating them into Toronto FC. In addition, he will be responsible for deeper integration between the first team, Toronto FC II and the Toronto FC academy through a mentoring program, while assisting with other front office duties.
“Jason is a smart and hardworking individual, and we are excited to add him to the staff,” Toronto FC GM Ali Curtis said in a statement. “We think he can help create programming for players from our academy through the first team. Also, Jason can play an integral role in helping to better connect former TFC players to the club.”
Hernandez joined TFC for the 2017 season and was part of the club’s Treble-winning campaign, as well as its Canadian Championship triumph in 2018. Overall, the defender made over 300 professional appearances, with more than half of those coming with the San Jose Earthquakes between 2008 and 2015. He made 25 appearances — 23 starts — to help the Quakes to their 2012 Supporters' Shield title.
Internationally, Hernandez earned three caps with the Puerto Rican national team.
