Former Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco admits Toronto FC moved for him after being "stung" by Jermain Defoe's Sunderland defection.

Giovinco was speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Within 48 hours of the idea being proposed to me, Toronto manager Tim Bezbatchenko flew to Turin to meet me," he revealed.

"They were stung by Jermain Defoe's departure and wanted to make sure I was available. We liked each other straight away.

"Toronto won me over by giving me the Number 10 jersey: the one I never got to wear at Juventus. They also gifted me an iPad with all the club mission statements on it. They made a good impression.

"We had lunch for an hour and never discussed money. I made my decision before knowing the figures. I decided straight away and began planning the future with my family. My father Gianni wasn't sure, but then he was the first to fly out to Canada. I can't wait for my wife to come out here with our son Jacopo, who will turn 2 in May. We have to find a house."