Trinidad and Tobago Senior Men’s team skipper Khaleem Hyland is expecting this country to maximise the opportunity to prepare for the Concacaf Gold Cup by warming up against a team such as Wales which he expects to present a quality test for his side.
Hyland also expressed his satisfaction on Friday over Dennis Lawrence’s contract extension as head coach of the Men’s Senior Team.
“It’s a great opportunity for the country to play games like these. I think it’s a dream come true for the younger players to play against players like Gareth Bale and others. I think the training camp leading up to the game hopefully will be good one . The conditions will be a bit colder than normal. The players who have experience playing abroad should be at home with regards to the conditions,” Hyland told TTFA Media on Friday.
“We have to make use of the opportunities we get and lessen down on the unnecessary free kicks and set pieces against them. I am positive that we can have a solid game against Wales and hopefully we can all be healthy and fit for the game
Regarding Lawrence’s post as head coach, the former Racing Genk midfielder stated, “I played with him and I know him as a player and now as a coach and I think I have a full view of what his ambitions are. He is someone who is ambitious and i think it is a great opportunity for him to be the boss and the coach of his country.
“He took us to the World Cup in 2006 and now he has the opportunity to start fresh again and compete in major tournaments. I can only wish the best for him and I think everyone is willing to work. It is something we all need to do together. We need to be together as one country and take everything as a stepping stone into the major competitions.
Hyland, who played against England in a 2008 friendly at the Hasely Crawford Stadium at age 18, feels that the Wales encounter could open doors for players on the international market.
“I was a young player as well getting the opportunity to play against England and that changed my whole life at that point in time so it’s a great opportunity for the younger ones to take this game very seriously because you never now who his watching you and when your life can change.
“Hopefully we can have some good training sessions at good facilities across there. I also think it is a great opportunity to play a game like this leading up to the Gold Cup . We missed out on the last Gold Cup even though we did great in the two other tournaments before. And now we have another chance to return to the tournament that is such a big one in the region. We want to show everyone what we are capable of,” Hyland continued.