Trinidad and Tobago and W Connection midfielder Clyde Leon may be missing the Warriors upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Costa Rica and Mexico due to a hernia surgery done last month but his support for the team stands strong.
“I believe in the guys. I have been in contact with a few of the guys and everyone is comfortable at the moment,” he added. “But most importantly, I want the guys to believe in themselves.”
Leon underwent hernia surgery on May 5 forcing him out of action for six weeks, and most importantly, being part of Trinidad and Tobago’s preparations for their World Cup qualifying matches on June 6 (against Costa Rica) and June 10 (against Mexico).
Leon a recent regular with the Warriors said that his hernia problem came at the poorest timing.
“I know that this is football and injuries come and go at any given times, but this is just the wrong timing. It would have been an honour for me to play with the guys in these crucial World Cup qualifying matches,” said the disappointed Leon.
The Connection midfielder is expected to return to the playing field by mid-June, however that’s too late for Saturday’s match against Costa Rica in Tobago and four days later against Mexico, in Mexico.
“Keeping faith in God, my time will come,” he said. “I have good people around me and I am going to recover from this misfortune and be back with my club and national team.”
On Wednesday Costa Rica played hosts to USA and defeated the Americans 3-1 to jump atop the CONCACAF qualifying group with 9 points, and followed by USA (7), Honduras (4), Mexico (3), El Salvador (2) and at the bottom Trinidad and Tobago (2).
“That was that game and I don’t think we should let that score bother us,” said Leon. “We must believe in ourselves because we are capable. The guys in Tobago have been undergoing intense training for these matches and I believe in them and the coach (Russell Latapy) who I’ve played alongside as a player/coach. Another boost is that Kenwyne (Jones) scored in his last (English) Premiership match for the season against Chelsea and that’s confidence for him going into these matches.
“As for our new coach, I believe in him. He had great ideas as a player and I know this playing and training alongside him. He’s got his chance to execute his ideas at fullest and he has my support,” ended the W Connection player.