Skilful Fuller

THAT RICARDO Fuller is blessed with incredible ball skills is beyond debate. What makes him even more remarkable is his resilience and willingness to go the extra mile for his country.

Distinguishing himself for Jamaica at the age group level, Fuller made the progression to the senior team with ease.

To observers, a contract overseas was a matter of formality and Charlton Athletic soon came calling. After impressing in trials, scoring with regularity, his contract was nonetheless revoked as he failed a medical examination due to a back injury which required surgery.

He fought his way back to full fitness but was unable to hold down a place in the club. He moved on to Crystal Palace. He had corrective surgery and the problem now seems fixed.

Sadly, with Charlton doing fairly well in England, Fuller found himself out in the cold, as after months of training with the club, he was released. He soon joined Crystal Palace, but his stay there was short-lived.

Other moves saw him becoming a cult hero at Hearts and Preston North End. He had other moves to Portsmouth and Southampton before settling at his current club, Stoke City, which he propelled to the Premier League.

FACT FILE

DOB: October 31, 1979

POSITION: forward

CAPS: 56

GOALS: 11

DEBUT: 1999

CURRENT CLUB: Stoke City FC (EPL)

PREVIOUS CLUBS: Tivoli Gardens FC, Charlton Athletic, Crystal Palace, Heart of the Midlothian FC, Preston North End, Charlton FC.

Stunning Sawyers

SHAWN SAWYERS is one of those players who did not shine in schoolboy football.

He started his goalkeeping at Old Braeton before he was recruited by Portmore United, for which he became a star. Despite being considered the best goalkeeper in the country for a number of years, he was unable to break into the national setup with the likes of Warren Barrett, Aaron Lawrence and Donovan Ricketts ahead of him.

FACT FILE

NAME: Shawn Sawyers

DOB: 19.09.1976

POSITION: Goalkeeper

CURRENT CLUB: Portmore United

PREVIOUS CLUB: Old Braeton (St Catherine Division One)

CAPS: 22

GOALS: None

ACHIEVEMENTS: Part of 2005 winning Digicel winning team.

Hard-hitter Wolfe

THOUGH IT has taken him a while, Wolry Wolfe is one of the few players to have made the transition from the squad which created history when Jamaica qualified for the 2001 Under-20 World Cup in Argentina.

This skilful left-sided player is capable playing midfield, his best position. Despite his slender frame he handles and strikes the ball hard. He is a cousin of fellow national player Omar Cummings and brother of Rafe and Kemeel Wolfe.

FACT FILE

NAME: Wolry Wolfe

DOB: 12.08.1981

POSITION: midfielder

CURRENT CLUB: Joe Public (Trinidad and Tobago)

PREVIOUS CLUB: Portmore United (Jamaica)

CAPS: 12

GOALS: 2

ACHIEVEMENTS: Member Under-20 World Championship team which competed in Argentina, member of Jonathan Grant team which won the Walker Cup in 2009.