Former Toronto midfielder undergoing treatment for leukemia

Tsubasa Endoh, a former midfielder for Toronto FC, is undergoing treatment for acute leukaemia in his homeland of Japan.

Verified on social media by Endoh in December, the former MLS player said he was diagnosed on December 2 and would undergo treatment. Currently, he has already started his chemotherapy sessions.

“I was honestly shocked at first and it was really hard to accept the whole situation,” Endoh said.

“It’s gonna be a hell of a journey and it’s surely the hardest moment in my life, but I’m determined to fight this and come back stronger than ever."

The 29-year-old was drafted by Toronto with the ninth pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft. Two weeks after signing with the club, he made his professional debut against the New York Red Bulls. He would go on to play six years with Toronto alternating between the first and second teams (Toronto FC II).

During his time at the club he appeared 80 times in all competitions and had 10 goals to his name. Unfortunately, his time at Toronto came to a close at the end of the 2021 season.

Since then the youth Japanese player has gone on to represent Melbourne City in Australia and more recently LA Galaxy II in MLS Next Pro, the third tier of American soccer.