Angus Eve has entered into an agreement which sees the 40 year old take up the head coach position at the Sangre Grande club North East Stars.
It’s the first time in his career that the former Trinidad and Tobago international has picked up a head coach role at club level, but boasts successes as an assistant coach with San Juan Jabloteh and Ma Pau SC, under Terry Fenwick and Michael McComie respectively.
However at international level, Eve held the T&T U-23 head coach position for Olympic qualifiers which started last year and led the young ‘Warriors’ to the CONCACAF qualifying earlier this year before subsequently bowing out.
On Wednesday morning, Stars President, Darryl Mahabir, hailed the move to contract Eve for two seasons ending 2014, as “the best choice that North East Stars made” after ending ties with last season’s Brazilian coach Emerson Alcantara.
The Sangre Grande club finished the 2011-12 season without silverware and in 6th position on the Digicel Pro League Championship ladder.
Mahabir explained that the language barrier faced by Alcantara was a major problem as well as the absence of discipline in the team.
Over the years the Sangre Grande club is known for its coaching changes which saw such names as Victor Solomon (2002), Miguel Hackett (2002, 2008), James Mc Lean (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007), Everald ‘Gally’ Cummings (2006), Kennrick Elie (2008), Clint Marcelle (2008), Rod Underwood (2010), Shurland David (2010-11) and Alcantara (2011-12)
“We want to make a serious impact this season,” assured the North East Stars owner/president.
“With the hiring of the Angus, we feel that it would benefit not just the club in terms of being competitive, but also the younger players in terms of development.
“We think that Angus is one of the best local coaches that we have around and his experience in youth development is very good for what he brings at our club, North East Stars.
“I think that his experience and exposure in the recent (Olympic qualifying) tournament with the Trinidad and Tobago U23s has actually risen his knowledge and experience to the extent that we now believe that would help him to be a force to reckon with, just by his knowledge.”
Mahabir believes that Eve’s knowledge is good for the development of the sport and the continuity of the industry of football in T&T, and strongly believes North East Stars will finish in the top half of the table in the 2012-2013 season.
Eve who still holds the record amount of T&T caps (117) before retiring from international football in 2006 after his non-selection for his country’s historic World Cup appearance in Germany.
His playing career included stints at Joe Public (1993-94, 1997-98, 2000), Defence Force (1995-96) English club Chester City (1999-2000) and San Juan Jabloteh (2001-2006) winning the League Championship in 2002 and 2003.
The Carenage native landed his first assistant coach role in 2006 under Fenwick and enjoyed League successes in 2007 and 2008 among knockout titles before moving to Ma Pau in 2009 as assistant to Mc Comie winning the Toyota Classic in 2010.
Parallel philosophies led to Eve's North East Stars move.
Angus Eve is ready for the new challenge ahead after picking up his first head coach position at club level.
However there is more to it, than just landing a two-season deal at Sangre Grande club North East Stars, said the 39 year-old former Trinidad and Tobago international.
“I’m really happy to be part of the North East family,” Eve said following his official unveiling on Wednesday as coach for the upcoming 2012-13 season which would be followed by a second season in 2013-2014, covering the two-season agreement.
Eve who recently completed his stint as the T&T U23s head coach revealed, “I think the (North East Stars) president Mr. (Darryl) Mahabir has done so much with football over the years, and he has lamented such when he said that he wants to put back into the youths.
“That’s my hope, dreams and aspirations. I really love seeing youths come from nothing and become something. Being from a background of the ‘ghetto’, Carenage, where we now call one of the ‘hot spots’, I love the opportunity to help other people out of that scenario and the president of the club also said the same thing.
“That was me buying into the project [at North East Stars]. Mahabir wants to bring the club back into prominence and also get into the communities which I think is very invaluable to the communities based on what’s happening in the country right now [with the crime situation]. We keep a lot of kids off the streets and doing something positive. That’s the way that the club wants to go, I bought into the ideas that the president have.”
Eve was popularized as a coach while working with youth players during his time at San Juan Jabloteh, while also filling the role of assistant coach to senior team coach Englishman Terry Fenwick from 2006-2008 lifting the League title as assistant in 2007 and 2008.
In 2009 he moved on as assistant coach at Ma Pau SC alongside head coach Michael McComie and celebrated the Toyota Classic title in 2010.
His most recent role was with the T&T U-23s in Olympic qualifiers as head coach which began last year and led the young ‘Warriors’ to the CONCACAF qualifying earlier this year before subsequently bowing out.
“I’ve worked with senior players at Ma Pau and at Jabloteh, so it’s not something new to me,” responded Eve over his new role as head coach of a club.
“I wasn’t the head coach at those clubs and that’s the only difference in the dynamic. But I think I’ve gained the respect of the players in the League as a player and as a coach,” said the 117 capped former T&T midfielder.
He added, “The people at North East Stars have a lot of experience that I can tap into. My experience as the National U23s coach and one little stint with the seniors has actually helped me to develop my coaching skills and my ability to deal with players with big egos, so I think I relish the opportunity to come in and try to help the club with the ability and experience that I have gained and also to help the league move forward.”