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<span style="font-weight: bold">J'can goalies find niche market overseas</span>
<span style="font-style: italic">BY OSHANE TOBIAS Observer writer
Thursday, April 26, 2012 </span>
JAMAICAN goalkeeper Ryan Thompson recently described playing in the UEFA Europa League for League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers as "a dream" and "a blessing".
It goes without saying: Thompson's achievement is outstanding, given that he is among a handful of Jamaican players to have graced one of Europe's top club competitions.
But what is even more remarkable about the feat is that presently, Thompson is not even the third-choice Reggae Boyz shot-stopper.
Based on recent international games, he would fall behind the likes of Donovan Ricketts, Dwayne Miller, Duwayne Kerr, Richard McCallum and Jacomeno Barrett in coach Theodore Whitmore's pecking order.
Such is the fortune of the country's goalkeeping stock these days.
The former Camperdown, Ardenne High and Harbour View player is one of four Jamaican custodians now plying their trades in creditable European and North American leagues.
Ricketts at Canadian US Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Montreal Impact; Miller at Swedish top-flight side Syrianska FC, and Kerr at Norwegian First Division outfit Strommen IF are the others.
A fifth net-minder, Andre Blake -- a national Under-23 representative -- is currently enrolled at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the United States.
"It's a very big achievement," said Allien Whittaker who kept goal for Jamaica at the 1999 FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament in New Zealand and the 2001 Under-20 edition in Argentina.
"I think the persons who should really be credited for this are Warren Barrett, Aaron Lawrence and Paul Campbell," added Whittaker, who was named the top goalkeeper, ahead of Chelsea's Czech Republic goalie Petr Cech, in Argentina.
"They (Barrett and Lawrence) never really made it overseas, but they actually made the dream possible by (playing at the 1998 World Cup Finals in France).
"Paul Campbell (former national goalkeeping coach) is the one who set the foundation because he single-handedly built all of those goalkeepers," said Whittaker, who is now a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
On his trek to Europe, Thompson made a calculated stop at Florida's University of Tampa that might have proved not only crucial in his academic development, but also in refining in goaltending skills.
Blake, a former Clarendon College, Glenmuir High and Sporting Central Academy 'keeper, seems to be following in Thompson's footsteps.
He is now a freshman at UConn, where he set a school record of nine-straight clean sheets (15 overall) and was subsequently named Big East Goalkeeper of the Year.
"I'm the one who actually told him to think about it," Whittaker revealed.
"If you look at the current situation, there's Ricketts, Miller, Kerr and McCallum, so he would basically fall down the line.
"He's young and has a good background, so I told him to act before it's too late, and now it seems to be working out for him."
Lawrence was actually the man who paved the way for Thompson and company to break into the overseas market when he became the first Jamaican goalkeeper to play at an overseas club -- the US-based Long Island Rough Riders in the early 1990s.
Ricketts was, however, the first to sign a professional contract.
The 34-year-old former Cornwall daCosta Cup player honed his skills at Wadadah and Village United in the local Premier League, before moving to England for a four-year stint.
Ricketts first signed for top-flight outfit Bolton Wanderers from Village in 2004, before making his initial loan move to lower league team Bradford City permanent in 2005 and went on to earn more than 100 caps for 'The Bantams' until he was released in 2008.
After a short spell back at local club Village United, Ricketts moved to the MLS where he had a successful three seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy -- winning 2009 Western Conference title, 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and the 2011 MLS Cup -- before being traded to expansion team Montreal at the start of the new season.
Miller and Kerr then completed a historic quartet of homegrown Jamaican keepers playing overseas with moves to Syrianska and Strommen from Harbour View and Portmore United, respectively.
The feat is now being hailed as a major boost for Jamaica's upcoming World Cup qualification campaign, scheduled to kick-off on June 8 against Guatemala at the National Stadium.
"This is really a good look for the national programme and Jamaica on a whole," said Lawrence, who was one of the stars of Jamaica's historic 2-1 victory over Japan at France 98.
"We now have a number of goalkeepers playing overseas, which means they should have a lot of international experience.
"It's not like back in the day when you only had me, Warren and Donovan; there's now a wide variety that we can choose from -- four playing overseas, plus the ones who are here also."
Lawrence, now the director of the Real Madrid Academy in Jamaica, reckons this success will also serve as a lasting example for young and up-and-coming goalkeepers.
He said: "Having players from Jamaica playing overseas is a big thing, but to have goalkeepers now going through is even better because it's hard to get a contract as a goalkeeper. It should mean a lot to the (youngsters)."
<span style="font-style: italic">BY OSHANE TOBIAS Observer writer
Thursday, April 26, 2012 </span>
JAMAICAN goalkeeper Ryan Thompson recently described playing in the UEFA Europa League for League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers as "a dream" and "a blessing".
It goes without saying: Thompson's achievement is outstanding, given that he is among a handful of Jamaican players to have graced one of Europe's top club competitions.
But what is even more remarkable about the feat is that presently, Thompson is not even the third-choice Reggae Boyz shot-stopper.
Based on recent international games, he would fall behind the likes of Donovan Ricketts, Dwayne Miller, Duwayne Kerr, Richard McCallum and Jacomeno Barrett in coach Theodore Whitmore's pecking order.
Such is the fortune of the country's goalkeeping stock these days.
The former Camperdown, Ardenne High and Harbour View player is one of four Jamaican custodians now plying their trades in creditable European and North American leagues.
Ricketts at Canadian US Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise Montreal Impact; Miller at Swedish top-flight side Syrianska FC, and Kerr at Norwegian First Division outfit Strommen IF are the others.
A fifth net-minder, Andre Blake -- a national Under-23 representative -- is currently enrolled at the University of Connecticut (UConn) in the United States.
"It's a very big achievement," said Allien Whittaker who kept goal for Jamaica at the 1999 FIFA Under-17 World Cup tournament in New Zealand and the 2001 Under-20 edition in Argentina.
"I think the persons who should really be credited for this are Warren Barrett, Aaron Lawrence and Paul Campbell," added Whittaker, who was named the top goalkeeper, ahead of Chelsea's Czech Republic goalie Petr Cech, in Argentina.
"They (Barrett and Lawrence) never really made it overseas, but they actually made the dream possible by (playing at the 1998 World Cup Finals in France).
"Paul Campbell (former national goalkeeping coach) is the one who set the foundation because he single-handedly built all of those goalkeepers," said Whittaker, who is now a member of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).
On his trek to Europe, Thompson made a calculated stop at Florida's University of Tampa that might have proved not only crucial in his academic development, but also in refining in goaltending skills.
Blake, a former Clarendon College, Glenmuir High and Sporting Central Academy 'keeper, seems to be following in Thompson's footsteps.
He is now a freshman at UConn, where he set a school record of nine-straight clean sheets (15 overall) and was subsequently named Big East Goalkeeper of the Year.
"I'm the one who actually told him to think about it," Whittaker revealed.
"If you look at the current situation, there's Ricketts, Miller, Kerr and McCallum, so he would basically fall down the line.
"He's young and has a good background, so I told him to act before it's too late, and now it seems to be working out for him."
Lawrence was actually the man who paved the way for Thompson and company to break into the overseas market when he became the first Jamaican goalkeeper to play at an overseas club -- the US-based Long Island Rough Riders in the early 1990s.
Ricketts was, however, the first to sign a professional contract.
The 34-year-old former Cornwall daCosta Cup player honed his skills at Wadadah and Village United in the local Premier League, before moving to England for a four-year stint.
Ricketts first signed for top-flight outfit Bolton Wanderers from Village in 2004, before making his initial loan move to lower league team Bradford City permanent in 2005 and went on to earn more than 100 caps for 'The Bantams' until he was released in 2008.
After a short spell back at local club Village United, Ricketts moved to the MLS where he had a successful three seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy -- winning 2009 Western Conference title, 2010 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and the 2011 MLS Cup -- before being traded to expansion team Montreal at the start of the new season.
Miller and Kerr then completed a historic quartet of homegrown Jamaican keepers playing overseas with moves to Syrianska and Strommen from Harbour View and Portmore United, respectively.
The feat is now being hailed as a major boost for Jamaica's upcoming World Cup qualification campaign, scheduled to kick-off on June 8 against Guatemala at the National Stadium.
"This is really a good look for the national programme and Jamaica on a whole," said Lawrence, who was one of the stars of Jamaica's historic 2-1 victory over Japan at France 98.
"We now have a number of goalkeepers playing overseas, which means they should have a lot of international experience.
"It's not like back in the day when you only had me, Warren and Donovan; there's now a wide variety that we can choose from -- four playing overseas, plus the ones who are here also."
Lawrence, now the director of the Real Madrid Academy in Jamaica, reckons this success will also serve as a lasting example for young and up-and-coming goalkeepers.
He said: "Having players from Jamaica playing overseas is a big thing, but to have goalkeepers now going through is even better because it's hard to get a contract as a goalkeeper. It should mean a lot to the (youngsters)."
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