The Hoang Anh Gia Lai football club has decided to not sign a contract with Aurtis Whitley, a striker who took part in the 2006 World Cup with Trinidad & Tobago.
After two weeks of testing, Hoang Anh Gia Lai decided to refuse to sign a contract with this Trinida & Tobago striker on March 29.
“We have created favourable conditions for this player to show his ability but I’m disappointed. Aurtis Whitley is not more dominant than other foreign footballers who are playing in Vietnam. He even yields to Ghanaian player Yaw Preko. His only advantage is the strength in shots but these shots are inaccurate,” said coach Chatchai of Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
“If we sign a contract with this striker, we will have to take time to train him in many basic skills of a professional player. We would rather invest in local strikers like Tang Tuan, Dinh Viet and some young players from the U-21 national squad,” he added.
Aurtis Whitley, 30, came to Vietnam on March 9 to test his skills at Hoang Anh - Gia Lai Club.
Whitley has played 27 matches for the national team of Trinidad & Tobago, scoring one goal. As a member of the Financial San Juan Jabloteh club in Trinidad & Tobago from 1999 to 2005, he had 64 goals. During the World Cup 2006, Aurtis Whitley played in all three matches of Trinidad & Tobago.