McManus Happy To Be Here

Six months after bolting from Scottish football for the friendly confines of Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Tom McManus took some time in an interview with the Edinburgh Evening News to reflect on his move, the sport's growing influence in America, and what the future holds. The 27-year-old striker was first signed to the Colorado Rapids earlier this year, after the club invited him to play in a pair of friendlies while training at Arsenal's facilities in Hertfordshire."I didn't know much about them then, but I checked via the internet and saw they had a cracking setup, very professional," said McManus. "I got very good vibes about the place and was convinced I was doing the right thing in signing a four-year deal."

While many MLS critics cling to the notion that only players who are unwanted in Europe or past their prime go on to play in America, McManus says the tide is turning and he wants to be living proof that players can come to MLS and not have their quality suffer.

"I'm convinced I can improve as a player over here and I think that, in the next few years, there will be a lot of players from Scotland, England and elsewhere coming over to play. There are literally hunderds of soccer camps on the go here every week and everywhere I drive I see soccer goals. The game is certainly getting bigger and, obviously, the arrival of David Beckham has raised the profile big time.

"The standard of football is good," he continued. "There are two or three teams I think are comparable to top sides in the SPL. I'm not saying they would win the League but I certainly believe they could hold their own."

In his first season with Colorado, McManus has made 17 appearances, including 11 starts, and has contributed with four goals and an assist; his long-distance strike against Chivas USA in week 9 even won the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week award. But the former Hibs standout admits he was unprepared for the amount of travel that comes with playing in a large country.

"The distances we have to travel are huge and we fly everywhere, travelling the day before and coming back the day after. You'd never moan about having to travel to Aberdeen or Inverness again. The first couple of away games left me absolutely shattered. The longest flight is probably to New England Revolution, which is four hours each way.

"But the strangest thing is the lack of away fans. Whereas in Scotland you can always rely on a few hundred or even a couple of thousand to be there, over here, again because of the distances involved, you tend to find you only have ten and most of them will live locally."

Though he may not end his career on American soil, McManus says he would one day like to live in the US once his playing days are through.

"It's a great standard of life, your money goes so much further, petrol, food, everything is cheaper. It's a vast place, but I've been able to visit a few places while the weather has been absolutely scorching, 80 or 90 degrees every day."