Orlando offers new lease of life for the return of the Saint

I’m in the away dressing room of the Saputo Stadium and it’s all pretty quiet, sombre. The current occupants, Orlando City SC, have just lost to Montreal Impact in a run-of-the-mill MLS game and the deafening silence says much.

Press access to such a sacred and hallowed space is the done thing in North America but it still feels strange and very awkward. Huddled together in a corner are the local sports reporters, there to grab a few words with any player willing to speak.

They stand and wait patiently as Orlando’s striker Kyle Larin parades around in a jock-strap before chatting. Crouched in another corner, I pretend to be invisible.