Eve: No issue with Premier League

“I am one of them. I see myself representing them,” stated the T&T men’s national team head coach, yesterday. He added that given adequate resources, locally-based coaches could fit in anywhere. To support his case, he mentioned Jamal Shabazz, Stern John and Wayne Sheppard, who have all recently coached or are still coaching abroad.

“We have had a lot of foreign coaches here,” stated Eve. “And they were not as successful as some of the local coaches such as coach Bertille St Clair, Gally Cummings and Kenny Joseph and these guys who have done tremendous work for Trinidad and Tobago football, Mohammed Issa.”

Although not locally-based, Trinidadian Stephen Hart led T&T to successive CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-finals in 2013 and 2015.

“I think local coaches do a fantastic job here, with minimum of resources and continue to develop players like Kevin Molino,” he said. “Kevin Molino and Joevin Jones did not leave here when they were five years old, they were twenty-something years old; each one of them.”

Eve added:“We have to respect the guys (local coaches) and I respect the guys one hundred per cent,” added Eve. The T&T coach also expressed his happiness that local players are actually actively playing football. Eve felt locally-based T&T players are better off now than in 2021 when there were no active local leagues due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But Eve maintained that having just started, the Premier League is not yet at the level of intensity which will fully prepare his players for international competition.

“I have said the league (TTPFL) will not help us in the short term. It will help us in the long term,” Eve stated. “It will take a time for them to build up to that international pace.” He added: “When you talk to Justin Garcia and Justin Sadoo, they will tell you that the games we (Soca Warriors) played in Jamaica were high intensity. The game against Bahamas was high intensity.”