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Barnes arrives for Digicel Kick Start Clinics
Barnes arrives for Digicel Kick Start Clinics
By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter
walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
"IF you feel like beating five players and putting the ball through someone's leg it will impress me. I will say 'yes, but you need more than that'," is the message John Barnes has sent to the 22 players selected to participate in the Jamaican leg of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics.
This message comes from a man who knows what it is to beat players at will while playing for Watford, Liverpool and England.
Coach of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics, John Barnes (right), shares a moment with Horace Burrell (centre), the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president and technical director, Rene Simoes, at the launch of the Jamaican leg at the Courtleigh Hotel yesterday. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
Jamaican-born Barnes gained world wide recognition after skilfully gliding through at least five Brazilian players before scoring an amazing solo goal in England's 1-0 win in a 1984 football, friendly at the famous Maracana Stadium.
He has been conducting several clinics across the Caribbean and Jamaica is his final stop, with the clinic set for Thursday to Saturday at Barbican playing field.
The clinics started on January in Guyana and took Barnes to Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Suriname, St Kitts & Nevis, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago.
On February 23, Barnes will announce the six under-20 players chosen from across the eight Caribbean countries visited in recent weeks.
These players will be given the opportunity to train with English Premier League outfit Sunderland for a week.
"When I was coming here, people would say to me that I am going to see a lot of good players with a lot of talent. But I would say to them, I won't be surprise because being from Jamaica myself, I know the kind of talent in the Caribbean in terms of the skill and the technique," said Barnes, a former St George's College student.
Barnes said what he is really looking for is the spirit, determination and discipline from the players.
INVITEES:
Goalkeepers: Dennis Taylor (Godfrey Stewart High School and Reno), Andre Blake (Clarendon College and Harbour View);
Defenders: Damaine Thompson Rusea's High School and Bamboo FC), Sean Fogan (Garvey Maceo and Portmore United), Brenton Griffiths (St Catherine High and Portmore United), Ateba Morgan Wolmer's High and Harbour View);
Midfielders: Adrian Chrsitian (Jamaica College and Harbour View), Christopher Banner (Denbigh High and Sporting Central Academy), Donald Young (Quality Academic and Barbican FC), Jahntel James (Ardenne High), Peter Beckford (Wolmer's High and Meadhaven FC), Mikhail Weatherly (Cornwall College and Mount Salem FC), Keneil Hyde (Calabar High and Meadhaven FC), Akeem Brown (Wolmer's High and Meadhaven FC), Andre Steele (Bridgeport High and Harbour View), Yannick Salmon (University of Maryland);
Forwards: Romario Campbell (Norman Manley and Harbour View), Christopher Waugh (Wolmer's High and Meadhaven FC), Alanzo Adlam (Excelsior and Cavalier SC), Shavon Brown (Ocho Rios and Portmore United), Ramone Palmer (Jamaica College and Meadhaven FC) and Kabari Palmer (Calabar High and Meadhaven FC).
The training sessions will be conducted between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday, the under-20 squad will play a game against Seba Under-21s at the Barbican field starting at 3:00 pm.
By Howard Walker Observer staff reporter
walkerh@jamaicaobserver.com
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
"IF you feel like beating five players and putting the ball through someone's leg it will impress me. I will say 'yes, but you need more than that'," is the message John Barnes has sent to the 22 players selected to participate in the Jamaican leg of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics.
This message comes from a man who knows what it is to beat players at will while playing for Watford, Liverpool and England.
Coach of the Digicel Kick Start Clinics, John Barnes (right), shares a moment with Horace Burrell (centre), the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president and technical director, Rene Simoes, at the launch of the Jamaican leg at the Courtleigh Hotel yesterday. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)
Jamaican-born Barnes gained world wide recognition after skilfully gliding through at least five Brazilian players before scoring an amazing solo goal in England's 1-0 win in a 1984 football, friendly at the famous Maracana Stadium.
He has been conducting several clinics across the Caribbean and Jamaica is his final stop, with the clinic set for Thursday to Saturday at Barbican playing field.
The clinics started on January in Guyana and took Barnes to Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Suriname, St Kitts & Nevis, Haiti and Trinidad & Tobago.
On February 23, Barnes will announce the six under-20 players chosen from across the eight Caribbean countries visited in recent weeks.
These players will be given the opportunity to train with English Premier League outfit Sunderland for a week.
"When I was coming here, people would say to me that I am going to see a lot of good players with a lot of talent. But I would say to them, I won't be surprise because being from Jamaica myself, I know the kind of talent in the Caribbean in terms of the skill and the technique," said Barnes, a former St George's College student.
Barnes said what he is really looking for is the spirit, determination and discipline from the players.
INVITEES:
Goalkeepers: Dennis Taylor (Godfrey Stewart High School and Reno), Andre Blake (Clarendon College and Harbour View);
Defenders: Damaine Thompson Rusea's High School and Bamboo FC), Sean Fogan (Garvey Maceo and Portmore United), Brenton Griffiths (St Catherine High and Portmore United), Ateba Morgan Wolmer's High and Harbour View);
Midfielders: Adrian Chrsitian (Jamaica College and Harbour View), Christopher Banner (Denbigh High and Sporting Central Academy), Donald Young (Quality Academic and Barbican FC), Jahntel James (Ardenne High), Peter Beckford (Wolmer's High and Meadhaven FC), Mikhail Weatherly (Cornwall College and Mount Salem FC), Keneil Hyde (Calabar High and Meadhaven FC), Akeem Brown (Wolmer's High and Meadhaven FC), Andre Steele (Bridgeport High and Harbour View), Yannick Salmon (University of Maryland);
Forwards: Romario Campbell (Norman Manley and Harbour View), Christopher Waugh (Wolmer's High and Meadhaven FC), Alanzo Adlam (Excelsior and Cavalier SC), Shavon Brown (Ocho Rios and Portmore United), Ramone Palmer (Jamaica College and Meadhaven FC) and Kabari Palmer (Calabar High and Meadhaven FC).
The training sessions will be conducted between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm on Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday, the under-20 squad will play a game against Seba Under-21s at the Barbican field starting at 3:00 pm.
