For Kevin O’Toole, the last two years have felt exciting, if not chaotic.
At the start of 2022, O’Toole was drafted by New York City Football Club, and the challenge of securing a first professional contract ran alongside completing his senior thesis at Princeton University.
Fast forward to this past October, and the biggest challenge in O’Toole’s life was no longer writing to a deadline, but instead facing an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner in Lionel Messi.
“They are two very different tasks,” O’Toole said with a laugh. “I think the thesis had its challenges because I was completing it while trialing for the team two years ago during preseason.
“I was trying to put my best foot forward on the field,” he said, “But I also knew in the back of my mind that I had to come back to the hotel room and work on an 80-page senior thesis - it was not a very exciting prospect. In terms of challenging events, I would say trying to defend Lionel Messi might take the cake.”
O’Toole would complete his thesis and graduate in the summer of 2022, by which time he’d secured his first contract with NYCFC and made his debut for the Club in the U.S. Open Cup. Things were trending upward for O’Toole, with his career gaining another significant boost in September of that year.
A busy week saw the defender handed two starts – including his MLS debut - in the space of several days. Firstly, he helped NYCFC win the Campeones Cup against Mexican club Atlas FC, before overcoming Red Bulls in the Hudson River Derby – both by a 2-0 score line.
“Before that game, I really did not expect to be playing,” O’Toole said of the Campeones Cup. “It was in the prematch meeting, the day before the game where I was told I was going to be starting. It was just a whirlwind.
“At that point in the season I felt very ready to step on the field, just based on where I was mentally and how I felt in training. I tried to take all that competence with me into the game, and it was just a beautiful night and something I'll always remember.”
He went on to add: “To be on the winning end of the derby and wearing the blue shirt, it was amazing. For that to be my MLS debut as well, it was a fitting fixture for that. It was quite the week.”
In some ways, 2023 has mirrored 2022 for O’Toole, with patience a vital skill. The 24-year-old would wait until late April for his first MLS start this season, with half-a-dozen more starts littered among the months that followed. By the end of the season, however, he had established himself as the first-choice left-back; starting the final five games of the campaign, and ultimately a meeting with Messi.
“I tried to keep my head down and work hard and earn my minutes where I could and I think that's what I did,” he said. “I was in and out of the lineup a lot this year but I felt I finished the season on a really strong note. I just want to carry that into next year too and make sure that left-back is my spot for next year.”
That show of patience and diligence would come as no surprise to those who know O’Toole. In 2020, with the world in the grip of COVID-19, he made the bold decision to take a gap year from Princeton. What followed was a cross-country road trip with close to a dozen of his teammates.
“I wanted to finish up college because a value that my parents instilled in me was that you’re going to college for four years to get your degree,” he said. “When the option of a gap year presented itself to leave after my junior year, I think one of the factors that was driving me towards taking the gap year was trying to finish in the right way - on campus at school. I think also, deep down, I knew that I could give more in that last year.”
Family has played a significant role in O’Toole’s journey to NYCFC. His parents Eric and Nancy, have traveled the country in support of his dream, while siblings Patrick and Jillian also remain an important part of his support system. All four remain at the forefront of his mind as he signed a second contract with NYCFC.
“They've been incredible,” O’Toole said of his family’s role in his career. “I saw Matt’s [Freese] quote the other day that he wouldn't be where he is without his family and it's just so true for me as well. I think they've put their lives - my parents especially - on pause to see us around to every field all over the northeast region in our youth careers, and they've been at pretty much every game of my MLS career to date.
“My mom and dad have both done so much traveling to go to all the away games as well. Their support just means everything to me. It's a big reason why I want to have the longest career possible to honor their commitment to me growing up. I wouldn't be where I am without them.”
Upon returning to Princeton after his gap year O’Toole and his teammates won all seven of their games; the first time a team in Ivy League play had done so for ten years. That launchpad helped secure his spot with NYCFC, an opportunity he has sought to make the most of.
Finishing the year with a new contract – his second with the Club – it is a testament to O’Toole’s hard work since his departure from college, but also a keen sense of timing. He will move into his third season in the Five Boroughs with a clear goal to not only make the left-back spot his own but also to make more memories with the Club’s supporters.
“I think the best way for us to honor them next year and all their efforts and commitment is to put the best product on the field and make sure that the results start to pile up,” he said. “I’m really excited to see them all again next year. And we're all going to be ready to put our best foot forward for them.”
