“If he wasn’t any good, then he wouldn’t be here,” was the reaction of North East Stars Head Coach Angus Eve over his signing of goalkeeper Adrian Foncette.
The 23 year old former St. Ann’s Rangers and San Juan Jabloteh youth goalie recently completed his studies at University Albany (2008-2012) majoring in economics and minored in business while balancing his top performances as Albany goalkeeper.
Foncette, a former Trinidad and Tobago U-17 and U-20 goalkeeper, signed a one-year agreement with North East Stars, with aspirations to someday play professionally in the US or Europe.
“It feels good to be back home,” he said on joining North East Stars. “Home is where the heart is.”
“Even though the League is under a little pressure here, at North East it’s a really good professional environment and family like base,” added the goalkeeper.
“I’ve looked at options in the US and it’s still up in the open. But I live life as it comes, today for today.
“This is where I am right now, but I’m hoping to be back in the US or somewhere in Europe.”
Foncette believes joining the Sangre Grande club will be the jump needed to propel his career.
He said, “This is a professional team and a professional environment with great technical staff, great players, so I believe this would be a very good kick start to my professional career.”
It’s also more than joining the club near his home-town of Arima.
“I’m a goalkeeper, and goalkeeping coaches are a rare commodity in Trinidad and Tobago,” explained Foncette.
“I worked with Brian James (former Jabloteh goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach) while at Jabloteh and he is here now [as goalkeeper coach], so this is why I’m here along with a great coach, Angus Eve and a lot of good young players who I’ve grown up playing with.”