Crushed by trade to Impact, midfielder Shipp set for emotional return to Chicago

MONTREAL – Harry Shipp was crushed when his hometown Chicago Fire traded him to the Montreal Impact on Feb. 13.

Shipp grew up with the Fire. He played on the club’s youth teams. His bedroom walls in Lake Forest, Ill. were covered in signed jerseys and other memorabilia from his favourite team.

And he considered it a dream come true when, after four standout years at Notre Dame, he signed with the Fire as a homegrown player in 2014.

But suddenly, after two seasons in Fire red, new general manager Nelson Rogriguez and new coach Veljko Paunovic decided he wasn’t their man and shipped the 24-year-old to Montreal in exchange for allocation money.

Now, Shipp is getting set for an emotional first game back in Chicago, where the Impact visit on Saturday.

“I’ve had a few games to settle in with a new team, so it’s not going to be weird going back,” Shipp said Thursday. “I’m looking forward to seeing some people.

“It’ll be fun. Hopefully, we’ll win.”

He was not so calm after the trade, and made his feelings known in an open letter to Chicago fans.

“I immediately broke down and started crying,” he wrote. “It was totally shocking and overwhelming. This club and this city have meant everything to me.”

Hundreds of fans sent angry messages to the team and Paunovic admitted it was one of the toughest decisions he ever made.

But he said he couldn’t guarantee Shipp the playing time he was used to and it was better for both sides to trade him to a team that needed an attacking midfielder.

The Fire were coming off two terrible seasons, finishing last overall in Major League Soccer in 2015, and were making big changes in management and players. Shipp had played 66 games in two years with the Fire, leading the team with eight assists last season.

In Montreal, he was a fit from the beginning, earning a spot in the starting 11 and contributing two assists as the Impact went 3-2-0 in the first five games to take first place in the Eastern Conference.

The pain of the trade looks to have eased.

“With the new GM and coaching staff coming in, no one’s job was safe,” said Shipp. “It’s part of the business.

“They came in and evaluated it and wanted to go a different way. It was hard on me, honesty, at first, but I respect that. No matter how good you are, there’s always a value on you in terms of moving to another team. That’s just the way this league works. I’ve got past it and I’m looking for a new experience and a new challenge here.”

His family and friends have already ditched their Fire jerseys in favour of Impact gear and will form a little cheering section at Toyota Park.

“I’ve always loved the city — that’s my favourite place in the world,” he said. “It’ll be nice to get back.”

When Montreal acquired Shipp, forward Dominic Oduro called up fellow Ghanian Patrick Nyarko, who Chicago had traded to D.C. in January. He asked what the Impact were getting.

“The first thing he said was ‘just make a run, he will get you the ball,’ ” said Oduro. “And in pre-season, he gave me two or three assists and that’s exactly what happened.

“His name spoke for itself. In this league, everyone knew (Shipp) and what he brings to the table. It was exciting. It’s a bit mind-blowing that Chicago let him go, but that’s how it is in MLS and sometimes you just have to move on.”