Four youngsters have taken their
next step towards football fame and fortune by travelling to England for a
three week trial with semi-pro side Ashford Town in Middlesex.
Bodden Town’s Theron Wood and Luiji
Hernandez, Mark Ebanks of Future and Donald ‘Naddy’ Solomon Jr of Cayman
Athletic hope to make a big enough impression in west London to ensure they
don’t have to come back on 8 December and will be offered contracts either with
Ashford Town or another team. They have travelled with technical director Carl
Brown.
Hernandez, 17, is a defender
showing maturity far beyond his years. Strikers Wood and Ebanks are both 20 and
are lightning quick. Solomon, 21, is a versatile defender.
These trials are being financed by
the Cayman Islands Football Association backed by the Cayman Islands
Government.
Sports minister Mark Scotland was
at the Centre for Excellence in Prospect with CIFA president Jeffrey Webb the
players, their families, coaches and managers on Tuesday to wish them all the
best.
“This is a small window for you to
enter through as there are hundreds of other players in the UK who will be
trying to make it in one of these clubs,” Scotland said. “If you all are successful
in your bid to make it in one of these clubs you will be setting the stage for
the younger players to follow your example. It’s about time for the Cayman Islands
to have players playing at this level. You have the backing of the government
and CIFA. Be disciplined train hard and make good use of this opportunity.”
Brown and the players left on
Thursday. They will get first class coaching and fitness training from top
Football Association staff at Ashford Town, which is near Heathrow Airport, and
play in matches against local clubs and hope to impress scouts from other
clubs. Ashford’s player-manager is Jamie Lawrence, who played two seasons in
the Premiership with Bradford City and won 42 caps with Jamaica.
Coach Brown said: “This is a dream
come true for the players. Something they’ve talked about for a long time and
they are very optimistic. If I didn’t believe they were good enough I wouldn’t
have committed them to this. It is a costly venture and I’m very thankful to
the government and CIFA for backing them. I am confident that at least one of
them will be left behind.”
All of Ashford Town’s training
sessions and matches will be open to scouts and representatives from
professional clubs at various levels, and they have an excellent record of
players being offered trials and training opportunities with clubs at all
levels of the British league system. The players will be monitored and details
of their attendance, abilities, behaviour and any improvements required will be
given to CIFA.
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