Altidore played despite sad news

Jozy Altidore has revealed Sunderland's 3-1 Barclays Asia Trophy victory over Tottenham was the hardest game of his life following the death of his boyhood mentor.The 23-year-old striker ran out at the Hong Kong Stadium on Wednesday a day after learning that his first coach, Josef Schulz, had lost his battle with cancer at the age of 61.Altidore told the Sunderland Echo: "For me, it was always going to be a difficult game. It was probably the hardest game of my life because on Tuesday, I had some bad news."The guy who got me into football lost his fight with cancer. Everything I've known has come from him, so it was a really difficult game."But I was happy that I could play and show the guys that I'm committed. That was the biggest thing for me, to show I care and that I'm committed."I'm a private guy, I haven't really talked about it. I didn't care if anyone knew about it."But these guys have been working so hard that I owed it to them to go out on the pitch and give something to them."Schulz spotted the former AZ Alkmaar frontman's talent as an eight-year-old in Florida and worked with him at both the Boca Raton Soccer Club and the Schulz Soccer Academy before he joined New York Red Bulls.Altidore played his part in a hugely encouraging win over Spurs, and might have opened his goal account shortly after the break, only to pass up a glorious opportunity.He said: "I had a few chances, but I'm just happy that I can get these games in."

Source: PA