Former T&T defender Dennis Lawrence believes there is still a market for local players in the United Kingdom despite the decline of players from this country in the Leagues there over the past few years.
“This season didn’t go the way we may have liked it to go. We were very strong in the League the season before.
“There were a number of reasons why it was difficult for us this time.
“We finished fifth as opposed to 11th this season,” Lawrence said.
“For my personal journey, as I keep saying, it is important that I educate myself. I think I’m working under one of the best managers in the English Premier League.
“There is a lot still to be learnt.
“I’ve learnt a lot in the last five seasons that I’ve worked in the English Premier League and I’m happy with the progress I have been making.
“It’s been a lot and I’m delighted to be working with a successful coaching staff.”
The man whose goal against Bahrain qualified T&T for the 2006 World Cup, observed the T&T team at the recent Concacaf Gold Cup and is urging the squad to continue striving towards greater success, particularly with the 2018 World Cup qualifiers approaching.
When he played for Wrexham and then Swansea City, there was an influx of T&T players in the UK Leagues at the time with names such as Carlos Edwards, Marvin Andrews, Hector Sam, Clayton Ince, Kelvin Jack, Brent Sancho, Stern John, Russell Latapy, Clint Marcelle, Anthony Rougier, Dwight Yorke, Shaka Hislop, Lyndon Andrews, Angus Eve among others plying their trades in different Leagues.
But those numbers have dwindled over the past seven to eight years.
“Lawrence believes the opportunities are still there, however.”
“If they are good enough there is no reason why you can’t be successful in gaining entry into the English situation,” he said.
“Sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves and we need to ask ourselves if we are doing the right things and are we good enough to get there.
“There has been a very big decline and there must be a reason for it.
“So we need to dig deep and find the reasons why players are not coming out from T&T and going onto the UK anymore.
“I don’t think the talent has disappeared. Obviously the mentality probably has changed.
“The focus has to remain on doing well for T&T. If you do well for T&T, this gives you the opportunity to be recognised, not just in the UK but in other parts of the world.
“So if you focus on doing well for T&T, then the country benefits and from an individual standpoint, then maybe you the individual may benefit as well,” he said.
Lawrence is hoping another reason for celebration of T&T football is on the horizon.
“What happened in 2005/2006 is something I will never forget and something T&T should probably never forget.
“But I think sometimes we need to understand that is the past and we have to look toward the future.
“We need to obviously get the young ones thinking about emulating whatever happened in 2005/2006. I’m proud of it and I’m proud of T&T and I pray and hope that one day something great again can happen in our footballing future.
if I was part of it, then fantastic, if not, I’m just happy for T&T as a country,” Lawrence said.
T&T, Jamaica coaches pleased for Caribbean
Jamaican senior team head coach Winfried Schafer believes the performances of the Caribbean teams at the Concacaf Gold Cup is an indication that football in the region is on the rise.
Speaking after his team’s 3-1 defeat to Mexico in the Gold Cup Final on Sunday, he said: “Football in the Caribbean is going up.
“When you see what T&T and Cuba have done and Haiti.
“I am very proud of my team getting to the final. This is good indication of the progress the Caribbean has made and I’m happy for it,” Schafer said.
T&T head coach Stephen Hart also believed it was a good signal to see the Caribbean teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
“It’s a good sign. Obviously Caribbean teams have knocked on the door for some time and the success in this Gold Cup comes at a very good time for the region which has gone through some difficult times in its football.
“Hopefully it will continue and we can build on it.
Now there is a situation where no longer teams from the Caribbean can just be easily written off or be looked at as a walk over,” Hart said.