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Reggae Boyz a hit in Norway
THANKS to their personality, the Jamaicans playing professional football with the premier division teams in Norway are a hit with the locals.
"The Norway people are getting to like the Jamaicans," said Eric Vernan, the diminutive midfield dynamo who represents Nybergsundik IL FC, which finished ninth in the 16-team championship.
"They like our accent and our vibes, they say we're nice," added Vernan, who won the schoolboy triple crown (daCosta Cup, Ben Francis KO, Olivier Shield) with Glenmuir High; and premier league with Portmore United.
The national midfielder/full-back just completed his first season on a contract that is expected to run through to August next year.
Given his exploits though, Vernan is confident his time will be extended and sees himself "re-signing early next year".
leading clubs
He lives in Trysil, approximately two hours from the capital Oslo, and rooms with fellow Jamaican Damian Williams. All told, seven Jamaicans were connected with the leading clubs last season, in different cities across the country. Rodolph Austin, Demar Phillips, Khari Stephenson, Luton Shelton and Adrian Reid, were the others.
"The people in the community shows us a lot of respect," Vernan pointed out. "When we go to the supermarket or bank, they show us a lot of love and respect and sometimes let us go ahead of them."
Besides those centres, the townsfolk want Vernan to join the line on the slopes in Trysil.
"That's the place in Norway where people come to ski in winter. People ask me if I don't want to come and ski. That's the first place where it starts snowing and you have game all them time there, when the temperature is -5 degrees," Vernan admitted, while tapering off into one of his joke-riddled patterns.
recent interview
Continuing on that wave-length, Vernan absolutely cracked up the place during the recent interview with three other teammates, saying: "It cold so till you head swell. If you chop off my foot them time there me wouldn't feel it until after me go home."
Within an instant though, the quick-footed player put things back into a sobering context.
"Seriously though, when I go to training I let them know that this is my work and I come to work," he said, real seriously. "The coach always tells them to give me the ball and let me work. That is serious business."
Continuing, he said: "In terms of the conditions I don't have a problem because if you want to be a professional those things are going to come, so the weather is not a problem.
"The experience is good, the professional organisation, the club, the country is wonderful," he said.
No wonder the Jamaicans are hitting it off with the Norwegians.
"The Norway people are getting to like the Jamaicans," said Eric Vernan, the diminutive midfield dynamo who represents Nybergsundik IL FC, which finished ninth in the 16-team championship.
"They like our accent and our vibes, they say we're nice," added Vernan, who won the schoolboy triple crown (daCosta Cup, Ben Francis KO, Olivier Shield) with Glenmuir High; and premier league with Portmore United.
The national midfielder/full-back just completed his first season on a contract that is expected to run through to August next year.
Given his exploits though, Vernan is confident his time will be extended and sees himself "re-signing early next year".
leading clubs
He lives in Trysil, approximately two hours from the capital Oslo, and rooms with fellow Jamaican Damian Williams. All told, seven Jamaicans were connected with the leading clubs last season, in different cities across the country. Rodolph Austin, Demar Phillips, Khari Stephenson, Luton Shelton and Adrian Reid, were the others.
"The people in the community shows us a lot of respect," Vernan pointed out. "When we go to the supermarket or bank, they show us a lot of love and respect and sometimes let us go ahead of them."
Besides those centres, the townsfolk want Vernan to join the line on the slopes in Trysil.
"That's the place in Norway where people come to ski in winter. People ask me if I don't want to come and ski. That's the first place where it starts snowing and you have game all them time there, when the temperature is -5 degrees," Vernan admitted, while tapering off into one of his joke-riddled patterns.
recent interview
Continuing on that wave-length, Vernan absolutely cracked up the place during the recent interview with three other teammates, saying: "It cold so till you head swell. If you chop off my foot them time there me wouldn't feel it until after me go home."
Within an instant though, the quick-footed player put things back into a sobering context.
"Seriously though, when I go to training I let them know that this is my work and I come to work," he said, real seriously. "The coach always tells them to give me the ball and let me work. That is serious business."
Continuing, he said: "In terms of the conditions I don't have a problem because if you want to be a professional those things are going to come, so the weather is not a problem.
"The experience is good, the professional organisation, the club, the country is wonderful," he said.
No wonder the Jamaicans are hitting it off with the Norwegians.
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