Lots of youngsters craved for the opportunity to stand near David Beckham when he visited for the launch of his Coaching Academy and attend the Fifa Under-17 women’s World Cup Final. Many could not believe their luck when they got to pose for photos with the England starboy.
There is one Trinidadian though who gets to interact with the ex-England captain on a day to day basis. That person is Yohance Marshall, the ex-St Anthony’s College defender who made his debut for this country in Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Jamaica.
After returning from a loan deal with US club Austin Aztex, Marshall has made two appearances for La Galaxy this season and is a member of the Galaxy first team alongside T&T’s Chris Birchall, Landon Donovan and Beckham.
“Anyone would tell you it’s a great experience but for me it’s a bit more because it’s an opportunity to rub shoulders with a great personality and to learn more about the game from him (Beckham),” Marshall said.
“I got the call last month. It’s been tough but I’m coping. I got some confidence at Austin and I’m continuing to work hard.
It’s eye opening to see how hard they work day in and day out. They don’t stop practicing. A lot of people don’t see what happens behind the scenes.
All they see is the 90 minutes out there. Beckham and Birchall also try to help the younger players like myself,” Marshall added. He is with Galaxy until end of 2010 and will head into new negotiations at season end.