Two members of this country's National Under 17 team during the period of the FIFA Under 17 World Championship last year believe that football in Tobago has ingredients for growth and success.
Last Thursday, defender Kerron Phillips and Kenyon Manswell, who both earned calls to the current Under 20 team in training along with the likes of Devon Leacock and Roderick Anthony, echoed similar sentiments about the possibilities for the game in the sister isle.
Speaking about his experiences since the World tournament, Phillips said "Things have gone okay since the tournament. I am now looking forward to the tournament in Venezuela with the Under 20s. "Right now I think the only thing we are missing is more competitions here in Tobago. We will like to have more competitions right now for us because we are eager to play. But they will come sooner or later especially now as there is the Stadium which has been great to play on" said Phillip.
Both he and Manswell touched on the point that Tobago now has opportunities in football outside of the St Clair Coaching School, which for many years has been the dominant force in the sister isle. But according to the duo, it's not like that anymore.
"I never went to Coaching school. I just trained with my school and by myself. Mr Ronald Duke was always behind me as well as my brother Warren Phillips. So that shows that you don't only have to be at the St Clair Coaching School to make it. I have also heard people say that words are spread about footballers must come to his school but now I think there are other opportunities if you want to make it. Signal Hill always used to win it but this year we went out there and showed that we can do it too and football here is not only about St Clair and his teams, it improving all over the island," added Phillips.
Since his exploits at the Championship last year, Phillips said he's " gained a lot of respect and also learnt a lot and it helped me more as a person too. I think I'm a bit more mature now." As for Manswell, he's been practicing and playing with the Tobago Hilton team now playing in the Cannan minor league. "Never went to St Clair school. I've heard that but it's not really true because once a player gets the right push and person to show him the way, then he can reach somewhere as was the case with me and Kerron and some of the other players who played for the national team. Rolston James, Coulson Dick and Handell Manswell have been some of the guys who have helped me, as well as Carl Williams from Stokelyvale," he said.
He also touched on his experience with Technical Director Rene Simoes. "My aim is to try and make it as far as possible and the Professor has helped me in a way that I know how to position myself better on the field."