If Aubrey David has his way, he will be heading back to Finland, after a good first season playing in their 12-team Premier Division, the Veikkausliiga.
The 24 year-old left defender is currently on loan to Finnish top level club FF Jaro, the same club of another young Trinidad and Tobago international Shahdon Winchester. They share living quarters.
David was actually born in Guyana, but has lived in T&T for most of his life.
He attended Vessigny Government Secondary and represented the country at the FIFA Under-17 (2007) and Under-20 (2009) World Cups.
However, when he did not get an invite to join the T&T senior team for the 2014 World Cup campaign, David took up an invitation from former Guyana head coach, Trinidadian Jamaal Shabazz, to join his native Guyana for friendly matches against Panama and Jamaica, before making the permanent switch to the Soca Warriors when called up in November 2012. He now has nearly 20 caps for T&T.
Formerly with the now defunct South End FC, Joe Public and T&TEC clubs, David joined Shabazz’s Caledonia AIA and won the FA Trophy in 2012–13. In his second season with the Morvant-Laventille-based “Stallions,” he was loaned to FF Jaro for the 2014 Veikkausliiga season.
“The club has offered me another season, but I am still contracted with Caledonia (AIA) until next year. So I will have to see what they say, and hopefully I go back,” David said.
“For my first season outside of Trinidad, it has been good for me,” David added. “I played 31 out of the 33 games and I scored three goals. Our team finished sixth. So, it was a nice learning experience for me. Hopefully, I will improve in the future.”
David describes life in Finland as “very simple”, but has the company of his T&T compatriot Winchester. He also kept contact with Daneil Cyrus and Joevin Jones, both also based in Finland this year.
“It is a basic culture, a simple people. I had to get accustomed to the weather...first time experiencing the cold weather. It’s basic living. Very simple.”
David is also thrilled to be back in the national team after a break, and has already played against Curacao and French Guiana at the 2014 Caribbean Cup.
“It feels good to be back in the national team after a little while. Glad to be here for the CFU and among this bunch of players and in this setting again,” David declared.
“My last game for the national team was last December against Jamaica, home and away. It feels good to be back.”