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Big chance for 'Mr Man' Published: Tuesday | February 16, 2010 0 Comments and 0 Reactions
Marvin Morgan (left) takes on a Portmore united player Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer
St George's College mid-fielder Marvin Morgan, who represented the Light Blues with distinction in his first Manning Cup season this year, will leave the island for England today for a tryout with English Premier League (EPL) team Birmingham City.
The 17-year-old midfielder will be on trial at the eighth-place EPL club's youth academy for two to three weeks. The club will cover his airfare and accommodation, along with other expenses.
Former Boys' Town player, O'Neil Thompson, made the connection with Birmingham City for Morgan while the schoolboy's agent, Darryl Powell, is handling the negotiations.
"I am looking forward to it a lot; it is a great opportunity for me. This is like a dream come true because everyone dreams of playing in the EPL," said Morgan.
The youngster had previously been rewarded for his impressive showing in the schoolboy season, with a call-up to the Reggae Boyz training squad ahead of their January 31st meeting with Canada.
He had also made the switch from Super League outfit Santos back to hometown team Boys' Town, where he made his Digicel Premier League debut on February 3 against league leaders Harbour View; and has featured in all his team's games since.
Tough experience
Morgan describes his set of games with Boys' Town in the top flight of local football as a tough experience.
"It is a tough season, a tough couple of games for me," he admitted. "The couple of games I have played I have put out my best and convinced the fans but I just did not get the victories that I desire."
However, Morgan believes the experience gained from playing in the local Premier League will give him the edge when he goes up against his peers at Birmingham's youth academy.
"I am more experienced now as I am playing with older guys and when I go over there, it will be my age group, so I might be more experienced than them," said Morgan.
He will have to get used to his new environs and get acclimatised to the weather conditions, which has been forecast to snow for three out of the next five days.
Morgan said: "I won't have a problem with the cold because my mind has already been pro-grammed to deal with that, I am ready to face it."
Former Boys' Town player, O'Neil Thompson, made the connection with Birmingham City for Morgan while the schoolboy's agent, Darryl Powell, is handling the negotiations.
I hope Morgan will be successful and open the door for other teenagers like Allan Ottey, Ricardo Morris and others.
_________________________ "Victory" in wars are never about who is right or wrong but more about who is left standing.
Good luck to him. Didn't Darryl Powell play for Birmingham as well? Surely his input will help too.
U hav to remember sey more than half of the black population of the West Midlands, in particular Birmingham and Wolverhampton, is of Jamaican heritage.
Any Jamaican footballers playing in this area now will be hugely supported by their clubs and supporters.
Birminghan City has money now, with Carson Yeung taking over and is very ambitious and with China Town just down the road, Birmingham is truly the ethnic club of this area.
If this yute does well here, the doors will open for others and they will be most welcome to make a career at Birmingham City.
Just a note for the Ites. The Gleaner story/reporter was a little premature. Mr. Man hasn't actually left yet, but should hopefully be leaving by Friday. Will update you when he does.
Looks like Morgan,Jr. could possibly join a team with some of the top u18 players in Europe and the Americas.
My yute, I understand your enthusiasm and eagerness to see dis yute do well but lets not be premature or misleading here.
The only yute in that group of signed up and contracted academy professionals with Jamaican connections is probably the yute Bogle; his family is more than likely of Jamaican heritage.
Your yute hasn't even been here 2 weeks good yet and will be assessed as to whether he is worthy of a contract for next year or more than likely, another trial later on in the year.
Nothing will happen as drastic as being taken on a full contract on this first trip and if it does happen, it will be posted directly on the web-site with his picture; lets not put pressure pon de yute and hope he does well enough to eventually get taken on.
As a matter of fact; that group is this years group; Marvin is being assessed for next year's group if he does well enough on this first trip and it will take another couple of invites back in the process.
No doubt, the yute Bogle is a Birmigham born yute from a Jamaican family.
Reading the club article, what BCFC is saying is that dem scouting the rest of the world for the best young talent because the talent coming thru at home is not good enough; its the system all the top Prem clubs are using now and rememba sey, it unda pressure from this new rule bout the yout dem hav to hav been developed in England between the ages of 18 - 21 or something like that and as of next season, bout 5 a dem av fi inna de registered squad of 25 first team players.
If Marvin is that good and proves it, he's in the batch for next year cause all a the clubs gonna start scout the world now for the best 14 - 16 yeras olds and get them in their systems early.
At home, inna Jamaica, sorry fi sey this but the entire system fi start prepare to be a selling, football-talent, exporting country, ah tink Seaga an im bwoy dem don sight da rake deh aready.
Forget the JFF, dem unda dem own agenda.
This is the only way that football can really grown an thrive in a likkle country like Jamaica; Holland has used the same system for many, many years now an can still put a top national side on the field without ever being a major European football league.
France is the country that has benefited most from this system because France has kept Guadelope and Martinique as departments of France, which is a part of French territory, they are not and will never be independent countries unless they wish to be. That is why they cannot participate in CONCACAF in the World Cup.
Since 1982, 2/3 rds of the French side has come from those two islands, more being actually born there than being born in France.
The incomparable Marius Tresor was Frances's captain in 1978 in Argentina from Guadelope and Platini understudied him as a yute in '78 before taking over in '82 and the 'Don' Tresor was still France's spiritual leader, with Tigana et al having come under his hand from time dem was yutes in France's side.
Holland, same ting with Surinam, except Surinam went independent.
This is why Jamaica's achievement in being the first Caribbean ex-English colony to make a World Cup finals counted for so much but now, Jamaica must realise its football limitations and use the system to its advantage because the clubs in England are willing to play the game; they only want the best players in the world playing for their clubs and we all hav to fight the national associations and FIFA's politics to make sure that keeps happening.
Clubs develop and pay players; national associations only use them for the international game and there will always be a conflict of interests.
If so is there any possibility of getting some info on Mr. Man's performance while on trial which you could post for those ites (like me) who are interested?
If so is there any possibility of getting some info on Mr. Man's performance while on trial which you could post for those ites (like me) who are interested?
I work for the club but I haven't paid much interest to the youth system but now that he's there, I'll find out as much as I can and keep the ites updated. It shouldn't be hard to link with the right people because its really a close football club and them happy when people show real interest in watta a gwaan.
