Toronto FC's Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty: 'I don't like this feeling'

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty is only 19, but it feels like he's been at Toronto FC forever. 

The winger from Brampton, Ont., joined TFC’s youth academy as a 12-year-old and quickly worked his way up the developmental system. His talent was evident and spotted by the team’s youth coaches right away, and he eventually joined TFC 2 in 2018 when he became the club’s youngest homegrown player at age 14. 

After spending one season with the Young Reds in USL League One he made history a second time on January 22, 2020, when became the youngest player to sign a first-team contract with Toronto FC at age 15. Another milestone was reached on October 24 that season when he made his MLS debut off the bench as the youngest player to ever play for Reds as a 16-year-old.  

Marshall-Rutty is now a veteran of three MLS campaigns and although he split time between the first team and TFC 2 in both 2021 and 2023 he’s no longer the new kid on the block. After undergoing a knee operation that derailed his 2022 campaign, the young Canadian rebounded this year by posting career highs in a single MLS season appearances (22), starts (11) and minutes (1,146) – that's more minutes he played combined in the last two campaigns.