FORMER Trinidad and Tobago national team footballers Gary Glasgow and Arnold Dwarika will put on Joe Public jerseys when the 2006 T&T Pro League season kicks off next month.
Along with the two local standouts, the "Eastern Lions" once more have the five Jamaicans who they have on loan from Jamaican club Portmore United. They have also contracted three Brazilian Under-21 players and two Colombians as well.
Coach Michael McComie says that his "hand-picked squad" has also seen the return of 20-year-old Brazilian left back Leandro Moncao who was in their 2005 National Super League championship winning squad.
Also in the squad are local players such as former Hibernian midfielder Lyndon "Chubby" Andrews and Dale Saunders.
Joe Public are back in the Pro League for the first time in two seasons after owner Jack Warner pulled them out a few years ago after disagreeing with how the League was being run. McComie feels that his chances of landing silverware in 2006 are fairly good. He thinks that of all the teams in the Pro League, his squad has the greatest depth in quality.
Last season's top scorers Roen Nelson and Carlington Smith have returned along with their Jamaican national team-mates Wolry Wolfe, Adrian Mitchell and goalkeeper Jacinto Barrett.
"We have a high level of fitness right now because the Jamaicans have just returned from playing in the Concacaf Champions Cup with Portmore United. What we are doing now is just getting everyone playing together," McComie said.
Joe Public will start to fine tune their programme with a series of friendly matches starting today when they take on the Trinidad and Tobago national under-21 team from 4 p.m. at the Marvin Lee Stadium.