Caymanian footballer Mark Ebanks has decided to retire from the national senior team after more than a decade of playing internationally for his country.
The decision to step away was multifaceted but includes family priorities, age and the politics surrounding the sport locally, he said.
Ebanks, 33, is the only player to score in three consecutive World Cup qualifying matches. His first such goal was in his international debut on 6 Sept. 2011, where he converted a penalty at home against El Salvador – the start of what would be one of the most decorated careers in Cayman football.
He has the most international senior caps in Cayman’s history at 19, and is tied for the most goals scored for the nation alongside veteran Lee Ramoon.
Ebanks, arguably Cayman’s best attacking midfielder, played his last national match on 26 March 2023 against Puerto Rico, where he captained his team.
Reflecting on a career that has included many highlights, he said it was time to move on and allow the younger generation to shine.
“My time has come and went,” Ebanks told the Compass, noting that he is older now and is devoting his time to his kids.
As for his favourite memory playing at a national level, he said, “My first [away] game – a World Cup qualifier – where we played the [Dominican Republic] and I scored. That is something I would never forget.”
He noted that while he enjoyed playing alongside many generations of players over the years, he singled out one footballer in particular with whom he had especially good chemistry: “On the national team, I played with so many great players, but I would say Theron Wood.”
Introduction to the sport
Ebanks’ caught the football bug in the late ’90s when he visited his grandmother in West Bay who was watching top Scottish team Celtic FC on TV.
“My grandmother made me watch and the striker was Henrik Larsson, and that’s when I started watching more games, but I fell in love with Manchester United.”
From there he joined his first Cayman Islands Football Association club, Future SC.
Ebanks played for Cayman’s under-17, U20 and U23 national squads before realising his important role in the senior team.
He would also play for fellow West Bay clubs, Elite SC, Scholars International, Academy SC and Sunset FC, eventually returning to Future.
“I liked the different challenges, so I always took the opportunities to play with other teams, play with other cultures, and even though some people viewed it as wrong, that was my view on it.”
Ebanks also played professionally overseas with Ashford Town in England.
‘It’s too much going on’
However, he admitted that outside of his days playing competitive club football, he was considering stepping away much earlier than he did, after the 2015 scandal involving disgraced former CIFA and FIFA executive Jeffrey Webb.
“The politics involved, kind of derailed me,” he said. “I see the disrespect; I’ve been there for so long – 15 years, but we still played because we loved the sport,” Ebanks said, noting that many of the CIFA executives from that time are still there today.
“I feel the situation is very similar to when Jeff Webb was involved but I do have friends in CIFA so it’s hard for me … it’s just too much going on.”
Despite pointing to what he sees as flaws within CIFA, he recognises the national players’ recent efforts on the field.
“I think we are taking the right steps, but we are still far behind,” he said. “The kids are a lot hungrier and have a lot more resources.
“You can just go online and learn, and I feel football is getting more attention and I’m starting to see more fans because after the whole scandal people stopped showing up for years, it was just empty.”
For Ebanks, retiring from playing football doesn’t mean he will be stepping away from the sport all together. In fact, he has already begun giving back to the younger generation of West Bay footballers as a coach.
When asked if he would change anything from his football journey, Ebanks said he doesn’t “have any regrets”.
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