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Phillips reaps reward for hard work, dedication
BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Asistant Sports Editor
Sunday, June 08, 2008
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Reggae Boy Demar Phillips' story is one of inspiration, especially in a country where there is such an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
Port of Spain, Trinidad - Reggae Boy Demar Phillips at the team hotel yesterday. (Photo: Sean Williams)
His hard work and dedication have laid a footpath for many young, ambitious Jamaicans to follow. Though his views on life and goals are determined mainly from the field of play, those choosing other paths can take a page out of his book.
Born and raised in the impoverished district of York, in the eastern parish of St Thomas, Phillips has broken out of the shell of abject destitution and disillusionment to the lofty plateau of a professional football player - heights many aspire to, but only few attain.
The 24-year-old Reggae Boy is eagerly awaiting his debut playing in England's top league, the Barclay's Premier League, after he helped his club, Stoke City, gain automatic promotion from the English Championship after finishing runners-up to West Bromwich Albion last season.
"It is a great feeling knowing that I will be playing for Stoke in the top league in England. At the moment, everything is working out fine for me," beams Phillips, who plays alongside Ricardo Fuller at Stoke.
Having learnt and appreciated the value of hard work, the diminutive midfielder with a particular liking for the left foot, warns his club mates that the test of will lies ahead.
"Now that the team has qualified for the Premier League we have to keep working hard; me, Ricardo (Fuller) and the whole team," he told the Sunday Observer from the Crowne Plaza Hotel here where Jamaica were scheduled to play the Soca Warriors in a friendly international yesterday.
While he immediately fell onto the good side of the family at Stoke, Phillips never faltered in his principle of hard work and sense of mission.
"When I just went to Stoke I was welcomed by players, fans and the managers.Ricardo (Fuller) took me under his wings and showed me the way. I worked hard and the coach believes in me and whenever I get the chance to play, I just go out there and do what I am supposed to do," he said with sincerity.
But his sudden jump into professional football came as no surprise.
"As a football player, you have to expect anything. Once you are performing and doing well, anything can happen. It wasn't like a surprise to me," he noted.
Last season Phillips did not get on the scoresheet for his club's first team, but notched three in reserve games.
Phillips, a former student of Seaforth High, which he represented in the daCosta Cup, claims molding for the pro life in the world's most widely played sport began at York Football Club playing in the parish's second division.
"After York I then moved to Bull Bay and played Under-20 for a season, then I went straight to Waterhouse, and from there everything just happened," he recalled.
Today, York will make a last-ditch effort to gain promotion to the National Premier League.
Grateful for his early tutoring, Phillips conceded it was at Waterhouse that the real blooding for the way up started.
"Waterhouse has done a lot for me in my five years there and I have collected silverwares there. The club has helped me to believe in working hard and all of that has paid off," he declared.
But the skillful, fleet-footed player has answered the most divine of football's calling: the national senior team.
He has fitted in nicely since and appeared to have cemented a spot in technical director Rene Simoes' squad as the Boyz head into their crucial CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign which begins this month with two games against the Bahamas.
"We have to go into this World Cup campaign as a group, and the coach has told us that we have to believe in ourselves as individuals and as a team.
"We're going into the qualifiers very confident as we look toward 2010 in South Africa," said a confident Phillips, who is one of seven children.
Having 15 caps under his belt and four goals as a senior player, the former Olympic squad player said his horizon as a player has been expanding since he came under the tutelage of Simoes.
"I'm learning a lot from...Simoes, and once you understand that you're not too old to learn, you will learn.we must also understand that no one player is bigger than the game," he said.
Phillips, who plays outside left for club and country, last scored in Jamaica's 5-1 win over St Vincent & the Grenadines at the National Stadium last Tuesday and started in the team in another friendly international against the Soca Warriors yesterday.
Phillips will depart Trinidad with the squad today for Grenada, which they will tackle in St George's in another friendly Tuesday.
BY SEAN A WILLIAMS Asistant Sports Editor
Sunday, June 08, 2008
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Reggae Boy Demar Phillips' story is one of inspiration, especially in a country where there is such an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.
Port of Spain, Trinidad - Reggae Boy Demar Phillips at the team hotel yesterday. (Photo: Sean Williams)
His hard work and dedication have laid a footpath for many young, ambitious Jamaicans to follow. Though his views on life and goals are determined mainly from the field of play, those choosing other paths can take a page out of his book.
Born and raised in the impoverished district of York, in the eastern parish of St Thomas, Phillips has broken out of the shell of abject destitution and disillusionment to the lofty plateau of a professional football player - heights many aspire to, but only few attain.
The 24-year-old Reggae Boy is eagerly awaiting his debut playing in England's top league, the Barclay's Premier League, after he helped his club, Stoke City, gain automatic promotion from the English Championship after finishing runners-up to West Bromwich Albion last season.
"It is a great feeling knowing that I will be playing for Stoke in the top league in England. At the moment, everything is working out fine for me," beams Phillips, who plays alongside Ricardo Fuller at Stoke.
Having learnt and appreciated the value of hard work, the diminutive midfielder with a particular liking for the left foot, warns his club mates that the test of will lies ahead.
"Now that the team has qualified for the Premier League we have to keep working hard; me, Ricardo (Fuller) and the whole team," he told the Sunday Observer from the Crowne Plaza Hotel here where Jamaica were scheduled to play the Soca Warriors in a friendly international yesterday.
While he immediately fell onto the good side of the family at Stoke, Phillips never faltered in his principle of hard work and sense of mission.
"When I just went to Stoke I was welcomed by players, fans and the managers.Ricardo (Fuller) took me under his wings and showed me the way. I worked hard and the coach believes in me and whenever I get the chance to play, I just go out there and do what I am supposed to do," he said with sincerity.
But his sudden jump into professional football came as no surprise.
"As a football player, you have to expect anything. Once you are performing and doing well, anything can happen. It wasn't like a surprise to me," he noted.
Last season Phillips did not get on the scoresheet for his club's first team, but notched three in reserve games.
Phillips, a former student of Seaforth High, which he represented in the daCosta Cup, claims molding for the pro life in the world's most widely played sport began at York Football Club playing in the parish's second division.
"After York I then moved to Bull Bay and played Under-20 for a season, then I went straight to Waterhouse, and from there everything just happened," he recalled.
Today, York will make a last-ditch effort to gain promotion to the National Premier League.
Grateful for his early tutoring, Phillips conceded it was at Waterhouse that the real blooding for the way up started.
"Waterhouse has done a lot for me in my five years there and I have collected silverwares there. The club has helped me to believe in working hard and all of that has paid off," he declared.
But the skillful, fleet-footed player has answered the most divine of football's calling: the national senior team.
He has fitted in nicely since and appeared to have cemented a spot in technical director Rene Simoes' squad as the Boyz head into their crucial CONCACAF World Cup qualifying campaign which begins this month with two games against the Bahamas.
"We have to go into this World Cup campaign as a group, and the coach has told us that we have to believe in ourselves as individuals and as a team.
"We're going into the qualifiers very confident as we look toward 2010 in South Africa," said a confident Phillips, who is one of seven children.
Having 15 caps under his belt and four goals as a senior player, the former Olympic squad player said his horizon as a player has been expanding since he came under the tutelage of Simoes.
"I'm learning a lot from...Simoes, and once you understand that you're not too old to learn, you will learn.we must also understand that no one player is bigger than the game," he said.
Phillips, who plays outside left for club and country, last scored in Jamaica's 5-1 win over St Vincent & the Grenadines at the National Stadium last Tuesday and started in the team in another friendly international against the Soca Warriors yesterday.
Phillips will depart Trinidad with the squad today for Grenada, which they will tackle in St George's in another friendly Tuesday.