Reid Fisher joined the growing list of players to have been drafted after spending a summer in Burlington, Vermont, and the center back still feels a strong connection to Vermont Green FC.
“I really, truly, still feel a connection to those people and that community, and I’ll probably watch Vermont Green games, until I die,” the center back told The Blazing Musket.
The center back became a fan favorite in his only season in Burlington. He was a physical presence who loved to get in opponents’ heads. After an impressive college career combined with strong performances in Vermont, Fisher was invited to the 2025 MLS College Showcase.
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Taking place in Fisher’s backyard of San Diego, California, the center back felt that he performed well and even spoke with Toronto FC at the event. Fisher was confident that he would be drafted but still thought there was a chance he ended up elsewhere.
But on draft night, Fisher got a call from his college coach informing the center back that Toronto had traded up to acquire him. Fisher joked that he told his parents he had to renew his passport after he found out he was headed north of the border.
Fisher headed into his first MLS training camp with the opportunity to play with some of the best players in the game. Toronto was headlined by Italian superstars Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernadeschi, as well as MLS veterans Jonathan Osorio and Sean Johnson. The center back told The Blazing Musket that he was never starstruck in those early days.
“They were great guys,” Fisher said. “Learning how these guys operate day in and day out. I think them accepting me into the group and yelling at me and giving me tough love at times was something I really needed.”
While Insigne and Bernadeschi are no longer in Toronto, Fisher said that the lessons and interactions he had with the duo will stay with him for the rest of his career.
Fisher spent most of the season with Toronto FC II. He played 24 games but unfortunatley Toronto just missed out on a playoff spot coming in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.
“I was really happy with how we played throughout the season,” Fisher said. “I think we, unfortunately, had a tough ending, had a lot of tough results not and had the ball not bounce our way, but overall, super happy. The second team, improved from how they did last year and I know our defense was definitely something that got a lot better. I think we just really gel together as a group and I was really happy with the culture that we set in place, and I think that’s something we can really bring on for next year.
“I think I played pretty well,” he added. “I was really happy with a lot of my performances.”
But this was Fisher’s first professional season. He learned many valuable lessons while with the second team as well as when training with the first team.
“I think this year was a huge learning year for me,” Fisher said. “New team, new environment, new situation. So I think going into next year, I’ll be a lot more prepared for the things that are thrown at me.”
On top of playing with the second team, Fisher did make three appearances on Toronto FC’s bench. While he didn’t gain any game action, the defender still used the opportunity to grow as a player.
“It’s incredibly valuable,” he said. I learned a lot. Watching the game so closely and being able to watch guys in my position from 10, 20 feet away is a huge thing for me. I think for me, more than anything, it just made me more hungry.”
Heading into 2026, Fisher will be far from the only former Vermont Green player in the MLS system. The defender is excited to get to welcome them to the league as even though they didn’t play together, they wore a Vermont Green jersey and had the experience of spending a summer in Burlington playing in one of the best soccer environments in the United States.
