He signed with QPR in the off-season, a move to a London club which had decided to open the wallets. But, so far, it wouldn’t be unfair to speak of the move as disastrous.

But that was still a low-key pursuit, nothing like the free agency of Junior Hoilett which we saw this summer, where he was linked to several Premiership clubs and Bundesliga sides. There was interest in a Canadian player like we haven’t seen before.

No, it’s not too much to call Hoilett a “star.” The fact is, Hoilett has played so well for Blackburn this season, he’s proven he’s national-team worthy, no matter the passport. He has now scored seven times in the world’s best league (I will get to that later, for you La Liga fans), after Saturday’s wonder strike against Norwich City.

Blackburn Rovers are now six points clear of the relegation zone, and Brampton, Ont.’s Junior Hoilett is a major reason why the club is pulling away from the trailing pack.

Junior Hoilett gave Canadian soccer fans two more good reasons to hope that he will finally decide to accept national-team coach Stephen Hart’s standing invitation to join Les Rouges.

So, Mississauga, Ont.’s Simeon Jackson — who came on as 76th-minute sub for the Canaries, and Brampton, Ont’s Junior Hoilett, who scored just before halftime to give Blackburn a 1-0 lead, had to settle for the draw.

Canada likely won’t have reigning national player of the year Atiba Hutchinson available for the beginning of the World Cup qualifying schedule. Canadian national team coach Stephen Hart said in a conference call Thursday that Hutchinson is still recovering from meniscus surgery in June. The injury forced Hutchinson to miss two of Canada’s three games at the Gold Cup.

But the Brampton, Ont. native keeps teasing Canadian fans, with yet another goal.

Canadian men’s national team coach Stephen Hart held a conference call Tuesday to discuss the team’s preparation ahead of the Gold Cup and the June 1 friendly against Ecuador at BMO Field. Hart touched on a number of topics, from mixed messages over the availability of attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario for the Gold Cup, where Simeon Jackson will play in the Canadian lineup and the possibility that Montreal Impact or FC Edmonton players could get call-ups.

With the CONCACAF Gold Cup less than eight weeks away, Canadian head coach Stephen Hart was in Toronto on Thursday morning to discuss Canada’s preparation for the tournament as well as its June 1 friendly with Ecuador at BMO Field.