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JT: Is this your final season at York?
JW: Well, depends. I have another year of eligibility. I don't know if I might come back for graduate school after this.
JT: Top scorer for the Lions, second in the OUA and third in all of Canada. Did you expect things to go this well at the start of the season?
JW: With the team we have, we always expect to do well, but nobody expected us to do this well. We have a lot of goals for and very few against. So at well rounded, it's me scoring but it's a team effort. There's eleven guys at the pitch, so it's not just me. It's everybody.
JT: What made you decide on joining York?
JW: I had very close ties with Carmin Isacco, the head coach, from when he was working at TFC because I was with the academy team. I knew they (York) would be the top programs in the country, so it was a no-brainer to come here if I were to stay in Canada.
JT: What is your favourite memory so far being with the Lions?
JW: It will have to be an away win when we won the national championships. It doesn't come better than that. We had a bit of a sour loss in the OUA finals, but then we bounced back and won the national championship. That's the main thing.
JT: In 2008, you joined the Lions and won the CIS championship as a rookie. In 2009, you appeared in eight games and scored a goal. Between 2010 and 2013 there was a gap. Then, you came back this season and dominated every single team in the OUA. What happened in those 3-4 years that made you improve as a player?
JW: The reason why I took those years off is that I was trying to make the leap into professional football. I was trying to find different avenues. I went over to Asia and South America, but wasn't able to make it. But those experiences helped me grow as a player. Now I come back and I'm more composed and more intelligent. My physical attributes are still here, but I gained mental attributes. That's where I grew in that time.
JT: And now you're currently associated with the summer league club K-W United?
JW: Yeah, that's my PDL (Premier Development League) team. It's funny because we were housed at Laurier. And pretty much, I stayed on campus there, I would train at their fields all year long for the summer.
JT: You started playing at a young age. How old were you when you realized you wanted to take the sport seriously?
JW: I was probably 16 or 17. That's when I got my first real call-up to the Canadian national team. And since then, it's something that I enjoy. To be honest, I'm very competitive and I like winning. This is what I do best, so I might as well keep playing it.
JT: How would you describe yourself as a player?
JW: Mostly, I would like to think of myself as a hard-working, intelligent player. I try to think of myself as unselfish. I like to pass first, and shoot only if I must. But this year I got a little edge of shooting more and taking more of the goalscoring responsibilities on my own.
JT: Is there any professional player you emulate according to your playing style?
JW: Well to be honest, the reason why I wear the number 14 is because Thierry Henry is my favourite player. When I first came here in '08, I didn't get my number 9 shirt, which is what I wore all the time. So, I took 14 as a backup and since then, I just had it.
JT: How do you consider his playing style similar to yours?
JW: He has a lot of pace, but he's still technically sound and doesn't mind beating people 1v1, which is something I like to do as well.
JT: Which goal is your favourite?
JW: It would have to be the second goal against Guelph. The one that turned the tide when we were losing. There's nothing more satisfying than scoring a goal and changing the whole outlook of the game for the positive of your team.
JT: Do you have any advice for the incoming youth players in the sport?
JW: Well, the most important thing is to stay focused. Like I said, there are a lot of negative things that go on with Canadians so far like the league and the world, I guess? Just stay focused. The TFC academy is helping a lot of young players. Hopefully if you can get into there, then you can have a nice avenue to go play professional soccer and make your dreams come true.
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The York University Lions went on to win the OUA (Ontario University Athletics) playoffs and the CIS Championship.
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