Orlando City may be upset with Cyle Larin over the manner in which things played out in recent weeks, but he certainly does not seem to share those hard feelings.
A day after Larin was officially sold to Besiktas following an ugly transfer saga that lasted several weeks, the Canadian striker published a goodbye message on his Twitter account on Wednesday. In it, Larin expressed gratitude for being able to make the move to Turkey as well as thanked Orlando City and its fans for their time together.
“Today is a happy day for my family and I as I have taken an important step in pursuing my lifelong dream,” wrote Larin. “There were a lot of thank yous today towards the people here in Istanbul and at my new club, but I cannot forget those back in North America who helped me get to this point. To MLS and Orlando City, thank you for giving me my important start as a pro. To have been a part of building a brand new team for its first three years together with all of the coaches, staff, players, and of course the amazing Orlando City community and fans was truly an honor.
“To all of my previous teammates in Orlando, thank you for your support and friendship. We shared many great moments together and I wish you all success this season. To the fans who embraced me from my very first game, I will never forget your unwavering support. In my time in Orlando, you guys welcomed a young kid from Canada with open arms and made me feel at home in a truly special city that will always remain close to my heart, and I’ll always be grateful for that.
“Thank you all for your passion at every game and I’ll always remember every goal and moment we celebrated together!”
The MLS club was nowhere near as pleasant in saying goodbye to Larin, as a day earlier it sent out a snarky press release to officially announce the 22-year-old forward’s move to Besiktas.
“After recognizing the existence of a valid contract, Besiktas J.K. has agreed with Orlando City SC on terms for the transfer of forward Cyle Larin to the Turkish side for an undisclosed fee,” read the release. “Although the club was disappointed with the unacceptable behavior of the athlete and his representatives, a decision was taken to guarantee compensation with the club’s future in mind.
The club looks forward to focusing on the upcoming season with staff and players who honor and respect the strong values of the club and commitment to our community to lead us through 2018 and beyond.”