Rookie Jackson Gilman steps up as Toronto FC fights for playoff spot
The MLS rookie has become a versatile asset for Toronto FC as the club tries to clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2020.
ATLANTA · Toronto FC faces a must-win road game against Atlanta United FC on Sunday to keep its MLS playoff hopes alive. The club sits in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, two points below the playoff line with only two matches left in the season. Toronto could be eliminated from contention on Sunday if it loses to Atlanta and other results go against it. Coach Robin Fraser is leaning on veteran experience but has also found a reliable contributor in rookie defender Jackson Gilman.
Gilman, a 22-year-old second-round pick in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, signed with Toronto FC's second team in February. He was promoted to the senior team on a short-term loan in May amid an injury crisis and made his debut in the Canadian Championship. Fraser started Gilman in an MLS match against Charlotte FC the following week, and the rookie responded with a man-of-the-match performance. Six days after that game, Gilman was signed to a full MLS contract.
"When I got the news that they had reached out to (my agent to) negotiate terms for a first-team contract, it was definitely a shock of a morning. I wasn't expecting to wake up to that news, and it was just another one of those blessings that has come with the season," Gilman told Sportsnet.
Since the Charlotte match, Gilman has made 12 more MLS appearances, registering one assist. He has displayed versatility by playing centre back, both fullback spots and central midfield. "It can be difficult to change constantly, but I think that's one of my strong suits, and it's why I've been able to break into the first team, being versatile and playing multiple positions," Gilman said. His most recent appearance came on Oct. 17 when he replaced the injured Kobe Franklin early in a 2-0 win over the New York Red Bulls.
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"You never want to come on the pitch due to an injury, so it was tough in that sense to see a close friend and teammate go down the way he did. It's a difficult task to come 25 minutes into a game when all your teammates have had the rhythm and flow of a match," Gilman said. "Thankfully, I was able to help the team get three points and a clean sheet."
Gilman said the rapid transition to the first team has been surreal. "If you were to ask me that in January or in December last year, I would have probably laughed a little bit and said, ‘Hey, that's above and beyond what I'm striving for,’" he said. He credits assistant coach Steven Beitashour, a former Toronto FC defender, for helping his development. "He was one of the first people that came over and put his arm around me when I came into pre-season," Gilman said of Beitashour.
Gilman said he regularly meets with Beitashour to watch film and work on individual skills. He sees adding more attacking prowess to his game as the next step in his evolution. Toronto FC's playoff fate hinges on winning its final two road games. The club closes its season next weekend against the Columbus Crew. Elsewhere, the Vancouver Whitecaps can clinch first place in the Western Conference with a win over the Seattle Sounders at BC Place on Sunday. CF Montreal has been eliminated from playoff contention.
With files from Sportsnet