Jamaica's Jermaine Johnson

COLUMBUS, Ohio: JERMAINE JOHNSON, it seems, made the perfect choice of channelling his talent into a sport that matches his enigmatic character.

The Jamaican midfielder is a constant menace to defenders on the football pitch, often terrorising them with great pace and befuddling skill, in a manner very much akin to his personality.

At times though, too often for the liking of his team, 'Teddy' has found himself thrown out of a game for his fiery indiscretions.

At first glance, one might be led to believe that such actions are sparked by opposing challenges. Underneath the surface and contrary to that belief though, Johnson admits it has nothing to do with outside forces: just an internal desire to get his game right.

"To be honest, it's not even tackling, it's just me getting mad at myself and it just leads up to me getting a red card for doing some silly stuff, which is not supposed to happen," Johnson said in reference to his knack of picking up red cards.

"People would say it's my attitude and my discipline, but I really don't think it's that. People just judge me based on how they know me from I was playing for Tivoli. But I just think I need to be more focused and believe in myself and I think everything will come with that.

"During a game I just want to focus for 90 minutes and don't make anything get to me and I think everything will get right, right there so."

exceptional talent

He never actually played that long. But during Jamaica's opening match at the CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament here in the United States, Canada got a taste of Johnson's exceptional talent, as he twisted and shifted them out of position while posing a constant danger.

Luckily, for the North Americans, they escaped with a 1-0 win, scoring a second-half goal against the run of play to seal a win.

One who doesn't like to lose, Johnson, like his Jamaican teammates, was burned by the result.

"I was really disappointed because we got the chances and we did not score," he noted.

Yet, the loss is not the only thing about the Canada game that left him upset. For while he doesn't have a problem with being substituted in the contest - a change that was effected right as the goal was scored - he felt peeved at not having the chance to turn around the scoreline.

"I felt tired but I was really disappointed to come out of the game, knowing that we were trailing 1-0," he admitted. "But the coach made the right decision. He brought on a player who is fresh and who he believed was going to do well for the team, that was ok with me."

A player with immense potential who has often found himself on the bench, what Johnson finds satisfying also is the fact that he now holds down a starting position and his minutes have improved.

"Sometimes, you have coaches who believe in you and another time you have coaches who don't believe in you and sometimes it just breaks you down and you don't want to go out there and play," Johnson pointed out.

"Right now 'Tappa' (Theodore Whitmore) is giving me the confidence that I really need to play."

The 29-year-old midfielder began his career in the humble setting of the Southside community where he was born, nurtured in his early football years by the late Percival 'Itesman' Cordwell, playing for Santos' age group and club, along with Tivoli Gardens High, until he graduated into the community's Premier League team.

From there, he transferred into professionalism at Bolton Wanderers in England, where he has made the rounds at several clubs, before winding up at Sheffield Wednesday, where he is looking to play a lead role in their drive for a spot in the premiership.

"I'm just keeping focused, trying to play good football and go back to the premiership," said Johnson. "I'm trying to help my team to do well. I'm looking forward to even make the play-offs or go straight up with the team because we have a really good team. I just need to keep fit and everything will come with that.

He added: "Right now I'm really focused, I want to go back where I started, meaning the Premier League and I think we're on the right track."