National senior team football head coach, John Barnes (left), Jamaica Football Federation president, Captain Horace Burrell (centre), and Digicel's Wayne Miller hold a conversation before the launch of the Digicel Kick Start Clinic at the Barbican playing field yesterday. - Contributed
The age of participants in this year's second staging of the regional Digicel Kick Start Clinic has been dropped from Under-20 to Under-16 to facilitate the possibilities of players gaining professional contracts in the English Premier League.
The move, which was announced yesterday at a press conference held at Barbican playing field by former England and Liverpool international and national head coach, John Barnes, moderator of the clinic, came as a result of prevailing work-permit conditions in England, which makes it difficult for clubs to sign Under-20 players.
Public relations opportunity
"While it was a good public-relations opportunity last year, the truth is it is difficult for Under-20 players to get a contract in England based on work-permit conditions.
"With the Under-16s, we would have less problems, which means it would be easier for clubs who have an interest to invest in these players," said Barnes who, along with naional assistant coach, Theodore Whitmore and former Reggae Boy, Chris Dawes, started the Jamaican leg of the clinic yesterday after the launch.
The trio will move on Waterhouse today at 9 a.m. before wrapping up proceedings tomorrow.
The Caribbean leg of the clinic, which will see six players travelling to Sunderland for one week tryouts in September, will be held in six countries. These are Jamaica, Barbados, Suriname, Haiti, Trini-dad and Tobago and St Kitts.
One-week tryout
The Clinic will then move on to Central America for the first time for training camps in Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador in August, at the end of which four players will selected for another one-week tryout at Liverpool.
"This year we're going bigger and better with the introduction of the clinic to four countries in Central America. We're delighted to be teaming up with Sunderland again and that Liverpool Football Club has joined in and realised the credibility of the development programmes we have in place across the Caribbean and Central America," said Digicel Group Marketing Director, Kieran Foley.
Barnes, who will share his Digicel commitments with the Reggae Boyz's preparations for next month's CONCACAF Gold Cup, said after last year's staging he was looking towards this year's event with high expectations.
"Last year's clinics were an inspiring experience. In each and every one of the eight Caribbean countries we visited, we identified really talented, enthusiastic and dedicated young players," said the former England and Liverpool international.
"The eight players who won the right to go and train with Sunderland last year came back with invaluable lessons and experiences under their belts. I'm really looking forward to getting out there and getting to work," he declared.
Meanwhile, Captain Horace Burrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation, said: "We are always in support of anything that has to do with the development of football in the region and especially so at the youth level.
"We understand the oppor-tunities that these clinics will provide to young talents around the region and hope that they will grab them with both hands" .
Jamaica invitees: Joshua Prentice (Glenmuir), Paul Wilson (Glenmuir), Newton Henry (Glenmuir), Shawn Lawes (Norman Manley), Marvin Wright (St Mary High), Clevon Mcpherson (Port Antonio High), Shane Hardie (Kingston College), Stephen Williams (Manchester High), Richard Trench (Rusea's High), Roshane Davis (Bellefield High), Omar Holness (Wolmer's), Kenneil Kirlew (St James High), Chevon Montgomery (Mona High), Romario Constance (St Jago High), Damion Thomas (Clarendon College), Canniggia Johnson (Clarendon College), Romario Jones (Hydel), Oshane Jenkins (St George's College), Kaniel Harrison (Munro College), Lorenzo Osbourne (Clan Carthy High), Shamar Walsh (Clan Carthy High).