Exhausted Steele glad to be with Rowdies

After three flights spanning two days, the newest member of the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies, midfielder Jonny Steele, was tired but very happy to be in Tampa.

"For sure, it's a new opportunity for me to get back to playing and enjoying soccer, because I wasn't enjoying playing soccer (in Vancouver)," Steele said. "I think Ricardo (Sanchez) is the same way. We talked about it yesterday before we came here, so we're looking forward to playing for a coach that wants us to express ourselves and let us have a bit of freedom to play."

After finding out about the deal that brought him and former Vancouver Whitecaps teammate Sanchez to the Rowdies at 10 a.m. PST Tuesday, Steele had 12 hours to get a physical, get his bags packed and get on an overnight flight from Vancouver to Chicago. From there, he went through Charlotte before arriving in Tampa at about 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Five hours later, he was getting to know his new teammates as they prepared for tonight's game against the Rochester Rhinos at Steinbrenner Field.

"A little tired, a little sloppy. I really felt it when we were doing the short stuff," Steele said. "We had three days off in Vancouver too, so (I came) from three days off just relaxing and trying to take a rest on our bodies because we train on turf every day. So I've took three days off, I'm thinking (today) I'll play good in the game, but it'll take me a week to get back to the heat and get back to my sharpness."

When at his sharpest, though, Steele has been considered among the best players in the second tier of U.S. soccer. He was the USL-1 MVP in 2008 while with the Puerto Rico Islanders, and while the Rowdies had injury issues that made adding players to give the side the squad it needed, both Steele and Sanchez were acquired more because of the impact they can have not just this season but into the future.

"I don't think you get many opportunities to sign players of that standard," Rowdies coach Paul Dalglish said. "They were two of the best players in the league last season and we got a chance to sign them, so we're delighted to have them and hopefully we can make them feel as happy to be here as we are to have them here."

After issues with injury and a constrictive system in Vancouver and with the freedom it appears that Dalglish wants to give Steele, the 24-year-old Northern Irishman believes he can recapture the form that led the Islanders to a championship.

"I think you'll see it. I will definitely get it back in the next few games," Steele said. "If I can get a bit of freedom and play my game, I know I can do well in this league."