Altidore: I want to retire at Toronto FC

"Home is Toronto."

Those are the words inscribed on the hoodie Jozy Altidore wore during a radio spot with Scott MacArthur on TSN 1050 on Tuesday, and words he stands by, as the 28-year-old reaffirmed his commitment to Toronto FC by revealing he hopes to hang up his boots with the Reds.

"This is my home. I love it," Altidore told MacArthur on TSN 1050, when asked about the hoodie. "That's what I want. I want to retire here. I've made that very clear to the front office and everybody else, that I love being here. I love everybody like family, from the groundskeepers to (owner) Larry Tanenbaum.

"Everybody's been fantastic here so that's my way of giving back to them - by staying here and making sure this team is relevant for years to come."

Altidore joined Toronto in 2015 in a trade that saw the Reds send Jermain Defoe to Sunderland in exchange for his services. In the years since, Altidore rediscovered his best form, scoring 48 goals in 94 matches in all competitions, including the game-winning goal in the 2017 MLS Cup final.

Though the trade ended well for both parties, Altidore also revealed further details regarding the role compatriot and teammate Michael Bradley had in convincing him to join, and stay in, Toronto.

"I mean, I'll be honest, that was probably 75 percent of it, because I've known Michael for a number of years," Altidore said, when asked how Bradley's presence helped him make his decision.

"I know what Michael's all about as a player, and that's why we get along - because we see the game in such an intense way that I know what he's thinking without even looking at him at times. When he had explained to me what this was all about, and what Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and what Toronto FC was trying to build, that stuck out at me.

"Knowing that he was going to be in it for the long run also meant a lot to me. I didn't want to come and then he took off and I'm kind of like 'what am I doing?' so to know that you're going into battle with somebody that you've known for a long time, that you know at any given time you can call on for anything, that made it a lot easier for me to come out here."