Phillips: I just won the Cup in Norway so that's a great start for me winning a trophy in my first season there.

National utility player Demar Phillips is enjoying life in the Norwegian Premier League following his move to the Scandinavian country, earlier this year, where he is now suiting up for top-flight club Aalesunds FK.

Phillips who spent some time with English Premier League outfit Stoke City - the club of fellow Jamaican Ricardo Fuller - made the switch in May of this year in search of regular first-team action. It is already proving to be a career defining move with 21 matches already under his belt and a League Cup trophy to his credit after he came off the bench to help his team to victory.

Said Phillips, "I just won the Cup in Norway so that's a great start for me winning a trophy in my first season there so I'm happy about that and it's a bonus for the team as well because it's the first time that they are winning that cup in their history."

"We didn't do too well in the League itself finishing in 13th place, but, it's a good spot none-theless because we managed to stay up in the league and it's not very often that the team is in the top flight," he continued.

The diminutive all-rounder went on to draw comparisons to the more celebrated English leagues and argues that the quality in Norway was not much different from that on show in England.

"Its not a big difference, the Norwegian League is like the Championship in England so its really good. It's the same physical, high-tempo game and there are a lot of qualities and foreigners so that's really good for Norwegian football as well," said Phillips.

The former York United and Waterhouse standout was quick to dismiss any suggestions that he was bitter about the lack of opportunities at Stoke and sought to assure that he was totally committed to his new life and commitments in Norway.

"To be fair, the disappointment in Stoke was a stepping stone, can't look on it in a bad way. I'm a player and I need to play and I want to play in every game that's how I see it as a football player. But I didn't take it as a disappointment it's a stepping stone and a learning experience. I'm in Norway now and I'm fully focused there to go out there and deliver in the league. I have been doing well there and I just want to focus on what I have to do there," said Phillips.

Good showing

Turning his attention to the Reggae Boyz team, with which he departed the island yesterday en route to South Africa where they will face that country in a friendly international, Phillips, 26, believes that the Jamaicans are capable of giving a good showing of them-selves and must always seek to win.

"There is a good crop of players here now and the team that has been called to go to South Africa is a very good team. Actually any team that is called I think they can do well, so we just have to go out there and do our best. First and foremost we need to win, every game we play for the national team we need to be looking to win. It doesn't matter who we play against we just have to go out there and do our best, whether it's a practice game or serious competition we just have to win and keep on getting good result." He said.