After months of speculation and 14 years on the international football circuit, Trinidad and Tobago's Kenwyne Jones will finally be returning to the playing field at home.
The star striker will officially join the ranks of Central F.C. on loan from August 1 2016 until the end of December 2016. "I'm quite happy to be heading to Central F.C., of course," says Jones of his signing. "I'll be back home playing football again; I haven't done so for a number of years and I'm excited to be back in the mix." Jones recently made waves in international media headlines when it was announced that he would be making his debut in the Major League Soccer arena with expansion team Atlanta United F.C. in 2017. The move was a welcomed one for many fans, including global superstar rapper, actor and Atlanta native, Chrisopher "Ludacris" Bridges, who welcomed Jones with a tweet that has since gone viral on social media.
Speaking on Central F.C.'s current standing as two-time Caribbean Club and TT Pro League Champions, Jones said, "Definitely, Central's position at the top is a great place to be; they have been playing some quality football and just looking at the league in general, it feels good to be a product of that standard of football." Jones looks forward to the prospect of being even more involved in national games, indicating that "(...) of course we have the two World Cup Qualifiers and upcoming Caribbean Cup rounds in October - this makes it the best move. It's a good moment to be home, a good moment to be closely involved in matches between now and December, and it's a good transitioning stage for me before I go off to the new venture in Atlanta."
The signing, seen by Chief Executive Officer of Central F.C. Brent Sancho and other officials as the biggest one in history for the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League, comes as the club heavily prepares to face off against Vancouver Whitecaps next month at the Ato Boldon Stadium.
Kenwyne will make his debut with The Sharks when the Canadians visit for the first game of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League on August 2.