Music: {allcanada} Toronto FC defender Hall close to debuting

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For Toronto FC defender Jeremy Hall, the waiting has been the hardest part.

Acquired by the Reds in an off-season trade with FC Dallas last November, Hall has yet to play a game for the Canadian club, as he's been battling a nagging sports hernia problem ever since he arrived in town.

After working out on his own for the past few months, Hall participated in a full training session with his TFC teammates for the first time this past Tuesday, and is hopeful of being available for duty in the next few weeks -- he's targeting a May 5 home game against DC United as his TFC debut.

Unbeknownst to Hall, he played through the injury last season, and only found out he had a sports hernia after Toronto's trainers examined him. But the 23-year-old native of Tampa Bay is excited to be at full strength again and is anxiously awaiting the opportunity to play for his new club for the first time.

"It was something that lingered on all last season. It was real painful. Nobody knew what it was and when I got here we found out that I had a tear. So we got it fixed up and I feel great now. It's finally enjoyable to be on the field again and to be pain free," Hall told sportsnet.ca.

Still, his time in Toronto thus far has been frustrating. After recovering from an operation he's had to work his way back into fitness, and watched on helplessly as TFC lost its first six matches of the MLS campaign.

"It's been tough. This is my first injury and I've been out since basically November. It's been hard but since I got here and started working with the trainers (the injury is something) we got done right, Hall said.

"I'll only end up missing the first six or seven weeks of the season, rather than try to play hurt like I did last year. I just wasn't playing at my best at the potential I know I can play at so it was something we wanted to fix."

Hall declared that this is the best he's felt since his rookie season in college, where he helped the University of Maryland win an NCAA championship in 2008. Though he is on the mend, his entry into the starting lineup is blocked by Richard Eckersley, who is firmly established as TFC's right back of choice.

No problem, says Hall, who has played in both fullback positions and on both sides of the midfield.

"Basically in my career I've played left back, right back, left mid and right mid, so I'm pretty versatile. Wherever they need me to play I can play. Rich is doing very well but teams switch things up over games. We'll see. I must looking forward to getting fit and getting some minutes," Hall said.

Asked to describe himself as a player, the first words out his mouth were "hard worker." The second were "I hate to lose," which should help him to win over TFC fans.

"When I'm fit I run up and down the field for 90 minutes. I like to play possession style so (coach Aron Winter's) formation and style fits me well -- keep the ball, keep it on the ground, moving off the ball, creating chances. I'm good with boot feet, I can cut it and shoot, and get to the end line and get crosses in," Hall said.

It's important to remember, though, that he hasn't played a competitive game since last year. It's going to take some more time to regain his old form, but he insists his worth ethic will see him through.

"I know it'll be hard at first in training, trying to get my touch and movements back. I really haven't kicked a ball in so long. I'm a competitor so I'm just going to go out there and compete and work hard," Hall promised.

For someone still in his early 20s, the Florida native has bounced around MLS in a short period of time.

A first round draft pick in 2009 (11th overall, two spots ahead of Stefan Frei) of the New York Red Bulls, Hall went on to play 24 games that season as the club's regular starting right back.

Playing time in 2010 was harder to come by (13 games), and Hall was eventually traded to the expansion Portland Timbers at the end of the season. He became a regular starter for Portland during the club's inaugural MLS campaign in 2011 before being dealt to FC Dallas last August. Dallas traded him to Toronto last November

"The moving has been tough," Hall admitted. "I don't look at it as teams trading me just because they don't need me. I look at it as teams wanting me."

He's enjoyed every city he's played in thus far.

"I got to open Red Bull Arena when I was in New York. I got to be a part of Portland's inaugural season -- that was awesome. I got be in Dallas with a good team," Hall said.

One os his career highlights came during his time with New York when he scored the opening goal in the Red Bulls' 3-1 win over Italian giants Juventus in an exhibition match.

"Oh, man that was great. That was my first goal and against a team like that; to score against Juventus was pretty special," said Hall, who swapped jerseys with French defender Jonathan Zebina after the match.

As for Toronto, Hall calls it a "great soccer city," and is enjoying living downtown -- "it's so diverse, which is what I love about it." A diehard Tampa Bay Lightning fan, Hall didn't get a chance to take in a Maple Leafs game this year, but admitted he hopes to get to a Marlies AHL playoff game in the very near future.

Thus far, he only has one complaint about living in Canada's largest city.

"I'm not used to the one dollar and two dollar coins, the loonies and toonies. I'm used to bills," Hall quipped.