NURU MUHAMMAD, the 24-year-old Caledonia AIA player, is one of the top central defenders in the Digicel Pro League and now the Maloney Gardens resident feels he can make a contribution to the Soca Warriors team.
“My dream is to play for the senior national team,” Muhammad explained as he spoke about his tenure in the Pro League and wanting to represent the Soca Warriors after having done so at the Under-23 level.
Muhammad believes that his work ethic and hard-nose defending can catch the eye of TT coach Stephen Hart.
“I’ve been working very hard, hoping one day that I can get that phone call or a message from my club saying that Trinidad wants me because it’s every kid’s dream to play for their country at the senior level and I think my game speaks for itself since I don’t talk much,” said Muhammad.
Hart, since taking over at the helm, has been scouting the Pro League and even Super League for talent, always with a notepad and paying keen attention as he attempts to improve the national team.
“The thing is, I want to be part of what the national coach is trying to build right now, I honestly think I deserve it.
I’m not rushing anything, because I believe that God rewards us when the time is right, so in the meantime I will continue to work hard and continue to help my club win the League because that is very important to me right now as well,” he continued.
Muhammad has been playing professionally since age 19 with Caledonia AIA but his dreams don’t stop with the Morvant/Laventille club.
“I actually want to play outside of Trinidad,” Muhammad said, adding, “I will forever be grateful to coach (Jamaal) Shabazz and ‘Rics’ (Ricarda Nelson) for giving me the chance to make the sport a career, but I want to experience playing top flight football outside of Trinidad. But I trust in the people around me and I will have my time soon.”
Caledonia AIA are so far experiencing a rocky season, winless in their last seven matches and losing their First Citizen Cup trophy, but the 2011/12 TT Pro League “Best Defender” believes that they can and will bounce back.
“I see and hear people bad talking us (Caledonia) right now, saying we’re no good.
I feel bad because they don’t know how hard we work as a team to accomplish all the things we did and playing in CONCACAF. People will talk though, but I think as a team we have the ability and skill to win everything in the Pro League.
We’re having a bad patch right now but we’ll bounce back,” he declared.