Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams has announced plans to retire from professional football.
“I think I am calling it a day,” Williams said yesterday while appearing on the Juggle football show on Guardian Media Limited’s Slam 100.5fm. “I have played for the national team for 14 or 15 years but I think from the beginning of next year I am retiring from not only international football with the national team but from competitive football on the whole.”
Williams, 35, has accumulated a wealth of experience representing several clubs in Trinidad and Tobago, Hungary, Honduras, Guatemala and Canada and has been a senior international for T&T since 2003 when he was handed his debut at age of 18 by then-coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier in a friendly international against Venezuela.
His 81st and final appearance for the national team came in September 2017, starting in goal as T&T were defeated 2-1 by Honduras in a World Cup qualifier at the Ato Boldon Stadium in Couva.
Most recently, Williams played a total of 15 matches for Halifax Wanderers FC in the inaugural Canadian Premier League. Halifax is coached by former Soca Warriors manager Stephen Hart.
A recently published article in a Canadian newspaper revealed that while Wanderers were not inclined to re-sign the veteran and use up one of their limited international roster spots, Wanderers founder and president Derek Martin was considering bringing Williams back as a member of the coaching staff.
Williams also represented T&T 22 times at youth level, spread across the national under-17 and under-20 teams and he also represented the national under-23 team numerous times. Williams starred during this country’s hosting of the 2001 FIFA Under-17 World Cup but was an unused substitute in all of T&T’s three matches at that tournament.
When asked about his next move on the Juggle show yesterday, Williams revealed that Halifax “would have some announcements to make” within the coming week.
He also stated his desire to go into a coaching career upon his competitive retirement.
“I have had a decent career, I think it could have been better but it’s time to start giving back now. I am looking more towards the coaching aspect of things,” he said.
SOURCE: T&T Guardian