Name: Avery John.
Date of Birth: 18-June-1975.
Birthplace: Vance River, Point Fortin, Trinidad.
Position: Defender.
Club: Miami FC (USA, 01-May-2008 to present).
Previous Clubs: Orlando Pirates (South Africa, one month), Longford Town (Ireland - 2003), Bohemians FC (Ireland), Shelbourne (Ireland - 16th of October, 2000), Boston Bulldogs (USA -2000), DC United (USA), New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers (USA), New England Revolution (USA, 19-May-2004 to Dec-2007).
SW Online Interview: Avery John exclusive interview.
HT: 5'-8".
Schools: Presentation College (San Fernando, Trinidad), Yavapai - 1996 (USA), American University - 1999 (USA).
NOTE: John was voted the SSFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1992. Avery had tryouts with Colchester United (England), Paris St. Germain, RSAP & Bastia (France), but it did not work out. Being a foreigner in the French league is even more difficult than anywhere else because a club is only allowed three foreigners in their premier division and one in the first division. At the time I went they had signed most of the foreign slots already," John explained, so his move to France fell apart, his Colchester United move was also denied as Avery didn't have the required international caps to acquire a work permit. In March 2004, Avery John was again un-successful in securing another contract this time with English Second Division club Wycombe Wanderers and Premiership side Birmingham City, work permit issues again. In May 2004 John eventually signed with MLS team the New England Revolution and made his debut for the club on the 19th of May 2004 against visiting Portuguese side, Sporting Clube de Portugal in an international exhibition match which the Revs won (2-1).

Avery aims to shut out those Beckham crosses.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
08-Mar-2006 - A year ago, he might not have set his sights on trying to prevent David Beckham from swinging crosses into T&T’s danger area but now the New England Revolution man Avery John is months away from carrying the responsibility of such a role.
As a former Irish-based left back with Shelbourne United and Longford Town, John was far from facing the likes of Beckham and Wayne Rooney but, having kept his place in the T&T side throughout the qualifiers and then put on a tidy performance in the Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Iceland, John is looking ahead to bigger things.
“To be honest, it won’t just be Beckham – (Steven) Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard can also drift out to the right because their midfield tends to be quite fluid.
And that’s not to mention Rooney dropping deep as well,” said John with a wry smile.
“I find it difficult to put into words quite how incredible the feeling was when we made it,” he said.
“There would be absolutely no point in our going if we were just happy to be making up the numbers,” he told the Royal Gazette.
“Since the new coach came in, we’ve generally been a very tough, organised team and we will not be easy to beat. Apart from Dwight (Yorke) we don’t have any really big names, so it is a case of working hard as a unit. I think we’ll do better than people expect.
There is a huge amount of pressure on teams like England to do well and if they do not beat us easily, their fans and the media will criticise them. So we will go into the match as underdogs, which could work to our advantage.”
Meantime, Silvio Spann remained in London after the 2-0 win over Iceland to negotiate a contract and is now training with an unnamed club. “The coach said I need to be playing and I fully understand that, so I’m looking forward to getting a done deal and playing regularly again,” Spann said.

Avery John: The world at his feet.

By Sam Stevens (The Royal Gazette).
01-Mar-2006 - Of all the opponents who will be at the forefront of David Beckham’s mind in the run-up to this summer’s World Cup, it would be fair to say that New England Revolution’s Avery John is probably not one of them. As a former Shelbourne United and Longford Town left back in the Irish League, it was never likely that the Trinidad and Tobago international would cross paths with the Manchester United, Real Madrid and England winger.
But come June 15 at the Franken-Stadion in Nuremburg, John could be handed the unenviable task of shackling England’s golden boy and preventing those irresistible crosses with which he has become so famously associated.
“To be honest it won’t just be Beckham – (Steven) Gerrard and (Frank) Lampard can also drift out to the right because their midfield tends to be quite fluid. And that’s not to mention Rooney dropping deep as well,” said John with a wry smile.
Amid scenes that mirrored if not surpassed those which took place in Bermuda last summer, Trinidad’s first ever qualification for the football World Cup in November saw the Caribbean island erupt with joy.
And just by the gleam in his eye when he talks about that famous victory over Bahrain which secured Trinidad’s place in Germany, it is instantly clear that the pride associated with such an historic achievement is in no danger of wearing off.
“I find it difficult to put into words quite how incredible the feeling was when we made it,” he said.
“We had started the campaign badly (with two defeats in qualifying) and we were suddenly handed a new coach (Dutchman Leo Beenhakker) who none of us were familiar with. So to turn it around like we did was an amazing achievement really.
“The plane ride back to Trinidad was unforgettable. Put it this way, we didn’t get a minute’s sleep and it was party time from start to finish. What made it even better was that the plane was half full of our own supporters who had come over to watch the game – so as you can probably imagine the atmosphere was special.
“But when we got to the airport it was another thing entirely. There were thousands of people everywhere and we were met by the prime minister and other officials and taken on a parade back to Port of Spain. The journey usually takes between 30 or 40 minutes when there is no traffic but there were so many people on the streets waving flags, shouting, singing and waving at us that it took several hours.
“We were all exhausted but very happy at the same time. As is the case everywhere, we have our social and economic problems in Trinidad. We have quite a significant ethnic mix as well which doesn’t always help with the unity of our country. But this was an achievement which brought us together like nothing else I have ever seen and there were people from all backgrounds out on the street. It was all so emotional.”
The odds on Trinidad making it through to the knockout stages in a first round group containing England, Sweden and Paraguay are long indeed.
With a fully fit midfield quartet arguably unequalled in world football, plus Rooney and Owen up front, England are expected to reach the semi-finals at the very least while Sweden are something of a bogey team for the group favourites.
John, of course, was having none of such pessimism – the clichés coming thick and fast as he argued that Trinidad could be the surprise package in Germany.
“There would be absolutely no point in us going if we were just happy to be making up the numbers,” he said.
“Since the new coach came in we’ve generally been a very tough, organised team and we will not be easy to beat. Apart from Dwight (Yorke) we don’t have any really big names so it is a case of working hard as a unit.
“I think we’ll do better than people expect. There is a huge amount of pressure on teams like England to do well and if they do not beat us easily, their fans and the media will criticise them. So we will go into the match as underdogs which could work to our advantage.”
While John played an integral part in the qualifying campaign, his place in the final squad which travels to Europe this summer is rather less certain than it was 12 months ago.
As it stands, he is not absolutely sure of a starting position in the Revolution’s first team, a reality underlined by the fact that he was on the bench for all three of their most recent games on the Island against Bermuda, LD Alajuelnse of Costa Rica and Jamaica Under-23s.
When signed by Revs’ coach Steve Nicol in May, 2004, the 30-year-old found himself at the heart of the first team’s central defence within two weeks of arriving at the club and he ended up starting 19 of the 21 matches in which he appeared.
Now though, with younger players such as Michael Parkhurst in the team ahead of him and others snapping at his heels, John fears a lack of football may jeopardise his chances of making the World Cup squad.
When asked the inevitable question, whether he would consider leaving the Revs early next season if his chances were still limited, he did not duck the issue.
“I don’t want it to obviously but it may come to that,” he said.
“When I’m fully fit and playing regularly, I’d like to think that I’d be the first-choice left back for Trinidad. I think I proved myself in the qualifiers and I’m pretty sure the coach has confidence in me. There are no guarantees though and if I’ve been spending too much time on the bench and am not match fit, then I could miss out. The World Cup is too important to just sit back and accept not playing.
“There will come a time in the not too distant future when I will have to sit down with Steve and discuss the situation. I’m happy here and I’d like to stay but the bottom line is I have to be playing.”
He may not have set professional football alight, but John has certainly trod a varied and interesting road from rather humble beginnings.
He grew up only around four miles from where Bermuda’s national cricket coach Gus Logie spent his childhood in the rural south of Trinidad. Impromptu games of football, cricket and basketball on the “savannah” were a way of life and it was not long before John’s sporting talents began to stand out.
Being from a large family of modest means, John knew his parents could not afford to lavish money on education and his worst fear was that he would be stuck in Trinidad forever – with his ambitions left unfulfilled.
But his footballing skills were sufficient to attract the attention Trinidad’s youth coaches and earn him a scholarship to the American University in Washington DC.Following a successful college career, John went on to play for the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers before being picked up by Nicol to play for the Boston Bulldogs in the US A-League.His thoughts, however, quickly turned to expanding his footballing horizons across the Atlantic and John decided to sign for Bohemian FC, a team in the Republic of Ireland League.
“I knew I wanted to play in Europe somewhere and I saw Ireland as a stepping stone,” he said.
“The standard there was good and I enjoyed my football, even if I was ultimately looking for a move to bigger teams.”
Spells at Shelbourne FC and Longford Town followed – before a bitter contractual dispute with the latter saw him threatened with the prospect of a FIFA sanctioned ban from all football.
“I went on a football tour with the Trinidad national team to South Africa and I was eventually asked whether I would like to go and play for the Orlando Pirates,” he explained.
“I was still contracted in Ireland and all I did was train with the Pirates a few times when I was out there, and there was nothing to stop me doing that. In my contract it was written that I could leave the club whenever I wanted, so as far as I was concerned it was a matter of me telling them I was going to move and them releasing me.
“But they did not see it that way. Now, they knew there was no way I was going to play for them after that but they acted spitefully and made it difficult for me. Then the deal to play for the Pirates fell through at the last minute and all of a sudden I had nowhere to play.”
John’s attempts to sign for clubs in England and France witnessed a succession of near misses, as work permit issues and restrictions on the number of overseas players scotched his efforts to win contracts at Paris St. Germain, RSAP & Bastia in France as well as Colchester United in England.
He also trained with Birmingham City, with manager Steve Bruce keen on winning his signature – before the fates conspired against him once again.
“I went to Birmingham in 2004 because I needed to stay fit for the national team games,” John said.
“I didn’t have a club at that stage and I desperately needed to keep myself sharp. Steve Bruce seemed to like the look of me because he called me in one day and told me that he would like to sign me because there were quite a few injuries around he needed a left sided player.
“I carried on training with them and Bruce was just about to ask the board for permission to sign me when a couple of the players in my position made early recoveries from injury and my signing could no longer be justified.
“It was unlucky. I was days away from signing for a Premier League club and having the chance to improve myself in a fantastic environment. I was incredibly frustrated at that stage as it seemed everywhere I turned something would work against me.”A desperate John then phoned Nicol, his old manager from the Boston Bulldogs who had taken over at the Revolution, not as it happened to beg for a job but to get the phone number for a manager of another A-League team.“When he heard I was without a team, he seemed surprised and said he’d call me back later,” John revealed.
“When he phoned back, he told me they were short of players in my position and asked me whether I’d like to come over for them to have a look at me. I didn’t need to be asked twice.”
John signed for the Revs on May 19 just under two years ago and has received widespread praise for his performances.
And with a World Cup place within his grasp, he seems set to conclude his career on a high note having looked at one stage as if he was to become another of football’s nearly men.
“It was all looking a bit disappointing but I’ve fought through,” he said.
“I never gave up and have always worked hard. There are thousands of other youngsters in Trinidad who are striving to make it and I hope they might be able to look at me and see that it is possible to do well as long as you are dedicated and you want it enough.”

Avery John adjusts to an unwanted role.

By: Gus Martins (Boston Herald).
14-Apr-2005 - Avery John was astonished when he wasn't chosen to dress for the Revs' season opener two weeks ago in San Jose. But the 29-year-old defender has been the ultimate team player since being replaced in the team's starting lineup.
"I guess at the end of the day the team is doing well,'' said John, who did dress last week against Columbus but did not play. "We've taken four (of six) points from two games. There won't be a lot of changes. You just have to continue to train hard and wait for your opportunity.''
John started 19-of-21 games for the team last season after being acquired in May. He also started all three of the team's playoff games and scored the decisive goal in the Revs' 1-0 victory over Columbus in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
John, a central defender, has been replaced in the lineup by Michael Parkhurst. Coach Steve Nicol said that John and Marshall Leonard (22 starts last year) will have to keep working to get their chance.
"There's no easy way through it,'' Nicol said. "You've just got to turn up and train like the both of them are. They both are training hard every day, waiting to get a chance to play. You know, things happen during the season. But they've got good attitudes and you see it every day. But if you've got a strong squad, then it's just one of the downsides for someone who wants to play but is not in the team at the moment.''
John played a key role last year when defender Carlos Llamosa was lost for the season and Rusty Pierce missed 16 games because of a thigh injury.
"If they are talking about proving myself, I thought I did that last year,'' he said. "What can I say? I come in and do everything sharp and professionally. At the end of the day the coach picks the team. You've just got to come out and work harder. I don't know what else to say.''
Without regular playing time with the Revolution, it could get tougher for John to once again represent his native Trinidad & Tobago in World Cup qualifiers. Trinidad, last in the CONCACAF's final qualifying round, just hired Dutchman Leo Beenhakker to salvage its hopes.
Trinidad has one tie and two losses after three matches and sits in last place. The country's 5-1 loss to Guatemala signaled a change was in the air.
"That was a sticky result,'' John said. "But it happens. But if you look at it, it's only three games. Anything's possible. Mexico drew with Panama and has seven points. So I think we have a chance. In 1998, Jamaica lost their first three games and still qualified. The chance is still there. It will take some work but it's not impossible.''

Avery ready to stake his claim for ‘Soca Warriors’

Issued By: Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Press Officer.
15-Nov-2004 - United States-based defender Avery John is setting his sighs on acquiring a fixed spot in the Trinidad and Tobago team for the remainder of the 2006 “Journey to Germany” World Cup qualifying campaign.
Back home after a relatively successful first season with New England Revolution in the American MLS, John will suit up in the national team strip for the first time in the current campaign and under head coach Bertille St Clair.
And he’s confident that a new outlook to his game can impress St Clair sufficiently.
“Once you play football at a professional level , your goal is always to represent the national team at the senior level, particularly when you’ve come up the different age levels as I have done with the country. I’ve played with most of these guys before and now coming back for is obviously one of the biggest stages now with us going after a place in the World Cup is no better time to be part of the set up again,” John told TTFF Media on Sunday.
Having helped New England to the Eastern Conference finals before they were beaten by DC United, John, who had 17 first team appearances with one spectacular goal against Columbus Crew, feels his game has upped a notch.
“Having played for different teams over the past two years has obviously helped me develop as a player and I am still learning as any player tends to do particularly after having played a season with New England. I’m really looking forward to stretching my ability now and see how I can bring something of value to the national team,” added John who was last attached to Longford Town in the Irish League and then spent some time training with Birmingham City alongside Stern John before signing the MLS deal in May.
He also shared some good words on the local-based players he has teamed up with so far with the likes of Denzil Theobald, Silvio Spann, Angus Eve, Leslie “Tiger” Fitzpatrick, Derek King, Marlon Rojas, Keyeno Thomas, Jerren Nixon and Errol McFarlane among others in the fray.
“So far I’ve felt very good in training. Settling back with the rest of the guys was never going to be a problem. They are all also looking sharp which is a plus and everyone is anticipating what is to come starting with Wednesday’s match. They all want the chance to stake a claim for a place in the team and there’s a lot of football to come which means there’s a lot to happen still in this campaign,” added the former Presentation College, San Fernando captain who is likely to also be in the team for the prelims of the Digicel Cup scheduled for November 24-28 here with Grenada, Puerto Rico and Surinam also taking part.

Avery John on the spot for Revs.

By: Marc Connolly - ESPN Soccernet.com.
25-Oct-2004 - Foxboro, Mass. -- It was the type of well-struck, bending and dipping left-footed rocket that one would expect from Zinedine Zidane. Or perhaps from Roberto Carlos. But from Avery John ? Not a chance.
Yet, it was the first-year defender's once-in-a-career hard strike from 25 yards out that blew past goalkeeper Jon Busch in the 25th minute and stood as the difference in New England's 1-0 victory over Columbus in Game 1 of their home-and-home playoff series on Saturday night.
"Nothing in his past showed us that he'd ever, ever be capable of something like that," joked fellow defender Rusty Pierce. "In practice, he's like most of us centerbacks - we're wide, we're high, we're everywhere but on target."
Shalrie Joseph agreed wholeheartedly.
"No, we've never seen him do that at practice at all," said the 26-year-old midfielder. "If he shoots from that far at practice, we all get on his case. He might hit one from out there now and then, but he hits it so soft that {goalkeeper} Matt (Reis) can take it down on his chest."
That was hardly the case against the Crew, though. After receiving what looked like a harmless ball from Steve Ralston at midfield, John advanced up the middle of the field without a defender in sight before unleashing a shot that would have made any goalkeeper look helpless.
"He took the space he got and he just laced it," said Joseph. "What a great goal. We all were laughing - we couldn't believe Avery scored a goal. We were happy he scored, but of all people, we couldn't believe it was Avery."
"I knew it was going in the whole way," joked Revolution head coach Steve Nicol, who later added, "He was probably as surprised as we were."
"It's a nice feeling, but it's not a shock," said John after the game.
For a player who had never scored a goal in Major League Soccer and had only registered four shots on the entire season coming into the match, it took a special circumstance for him to even look at the goal.
But that's exactly what any defender in the league would do when given so much time and space inside the opposition's half of the field.
Even with 40 yards to go, John thought about taking a crack at the goal -- "you never know what is going to happen with the wind," he said -- but he took an extra few touches once the Crew defenders backed off seemingly expecting him to lay the ball off. Once the 18-yard box was in sight, he wound up and let it fly.
While he would love to take credit for the voodoo tricks his ball seemed to be under in flight, John was hardly trying to swerve it into the top left of the goal.
"I was just trying to hit it hard and straight at the goal," he said. "I'm not a natural goal-scorer, so the most important thing you want to do is to keep it on target. And anything can happen after that."
In this case, it not only gave the Revs a 1-0 victory to snap the Crew's amazing 18-game unbeaten run, but it also put his side in a position to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the third year in a row with either a victory or a tie on the road in Columbus next Sunday.
While it's highly unlikely that John will show up in the scorer's sheet again next weekend, it's safe to say that his usual hard-nosed defending will be apparent as it was on Saturday night. As part of a Revs unit that made several hard tackles from the start, a message was definitely sent.
John's takedown of Chris Wingert in the 58th minute that resulted in a yellow card was a hard enough foul that Columbus head coach Greg Andrulis was asking why it wasn't a red card after the match. The 29-year-old Trinidad native wasn't apologizing afterwards, though, saying it's part of the game, especially in the postseason.
"You're coming into our house - it's going to be a battle," he said. "There are no two ways about it. You want to come out and play aggressive and be first to the ball. You have to defend with your life. It's playoff time. It's now or never."
Whether he plays on the left side of the defense as he did in Nicol's 3-5-2 formation against the Crew or in the central defense paired with Pierce in a 4-4-2, John is a pure defender.
It's the only position he's ever played and one that he enjoys. Forget the long-range bombs, John would take a game-saving tackle against an Edson Buddle or a Jeff Cunningham over anything else.
"I know it's not the right thing to say, but I get more joy hitting someone in a tackle or something like that than scoring a goal," said John with a bit of a mischievous laugh. "It's a good feeling -- don't get me wrong -- but I'm a defender by birth. I grew up doing it. I love doing it. I love doing a tackle; getting up for headers and everything. That's my joy."
It's one of the reasons his Revolution teammates have taken to him since he joined the side back in mid-May after playing in Ireland for Longford Town.
"He comes to work every day when he comes to practice and he works hard," said Joseph. "He's one of the guys like Rusty Pierce who get into people. Avery is a really tough defender and very physical. I'm just glad he's on my side."
"You know what you're going to get with Avery," said Pierce, who organized the three-man backline against Columbus. "He's tough and he has that willingness to get into a tackle. I respect that a lot out of Avery, and it's why he gets so much playing time. He's also very good in the air, which is something he's kept improving on since he's got here, and he does a good job not getting turned around when defending. He brings a decent amount to us in the back."
Part of John's strong play over the 22 games he's now played (20 as a starter) comes from the confidence he gained during a three-month stint at Birmingham City in the English Premiership at the beginning of the year.
Even though he was just allowed to train with the side that, at the time, included L.A. Galaxy striker Jovan Kirovski due to work permit issues, he played well enough that the club explored ways around it to sign him.
"It proved that I can play at any level," said John.
He parlayed that into a contract in Ireland, and eventually a shot in MLS once his season was complete. In his first season, he said he's noticed the athleticism and physicality of the league more than anything. He also soon came to realize that any team can win on any given day in MLS, unlike what he saw during his brief time in England.
"There's really not a dominant team in this league," said John. "Everybody plays everybody so much, it seems like you can win, lose or tie depending on the day. That's not the case in the Premiership when teams like Arsenal and Man. Utd. are way above everyone else."
While the numbers showed that Columbus was on its way to separating itself from the rest of the pack going into the playoffs, the Revs erased such thoughts with the 1-0 upset at Gillette Stadium. Thanks to its unlikely goal-scorer, Avery John.

Revolution add defender Avery John to Roster.

www.revolutionsoccer.net.
19-May-2004 - The New England Revolution announced today that defender Avery John has received clearance from MLS and FIFA to play in tonight’s match versus Sporting Club of Portugal. John has a signed contract with the league and the Revolution and will be available to play in this Saturday’s home game versus the MetroStars and in the MLS season going forward. Terms of the contract, per league and team policy, are not disclosed.
John is designated as a Senior International, meaning that with John, José Cancela and Daouda Kante, the Revolution now have the MLS maximum three Senior Internationals permitted on a team roster. Avery John is a Trinidad & Tobago international and has appeared in 49 full senior international matches for his country. He spent the past three seasons of his career playing in the eircom Premier League in the Republic of Ireland, most recently with Longford Town. John previously played for Revolution head coach Steve Nicol with the Boston Bulldogs of the USL’s A-League as well as for the A-League New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers.

Town unhappy with Avery John.

www.eleven-a-side.com.
9-Nov-2003 - Longford Town manager Alan Matthews is furious with the news that while defender Avery John was still contracted to the Midlanders, he was away playing for South African side Orlando Pirates.
John is now under an investigation by FIFA and if the Trinidad and Tobago international is found guilty of playing for another club while contracted elsewhere, he may face a worldwide ban from football.
The former Bohemians defender told Matthews in July that he had to return home to visit his sick mother, while in fact it is alleged that he played for the Pirates in a Vodafone Challenge Cup game against St Eloi Lupopo on July 6.
The 27-year-old parted company with the Midlanders just before the transfer window closed, but Matthews is still unhappy that John abused his trust.
"Avery had told us that he had to return to Trinidad because his mother was sick but now it turns out he was in South Africa playing for another club. We will be investigating further," he stressed.
It was also reported that John who dis-played some impressive games at left-back for the Pirates of South Africa during the Vodacom Challenge Cup, has returned to T&T after failing to come to an agreement with the Castle Premiership champions "Orlando Pirates" management.
Longford Town manager Alan Matthews has revealed that defender Avery John attempted to obtain a pair of expensive insoles from the club – despite parting company with the midlanders in acrimonious circumstances more than three weeks ago!
The player is in danger of being handed a worldwide ban by Fifa after playing for South African side Orlando Pirates in July, when he was still contracted to Longford Town.
The former Shelbourne and Bohemians defender had told the Flancare Park side that he was at home in Trinidad & Tobago nursing his sick mother.
When Longford became aware of the true story, they terminated the player’s contract and, as they are legally entitled to do, opted to hold onto his registration, thus preventing him from playing for another club.
However, the saga took a new twist when John tried to bill the club for a pair of expensive insoles, which he needs for physiological reasons, and which cost almost Euro 300.
“I am amazed by the audacity of the player given the circumstances in which he left the club and the subsequent revelations about what he has been up to,” Matthews told the Irish Sun.“
John is no stranger to controversy – he was at the centre of a registration fiasco after joining the midlanders last season, resulting in Longford being docked nine points, although the punishment was later lifted on appeal.

Avery John signs for South Africa's Orlando Pirates.

Orlando Pirates Website News.
12-Jul-2003 - Orlando Pirates completed the signing of two international defenders on Tuesday in preparation for participation in the revamped African Champions League and would release the names of players to be off-loaded before the end of the week.
Zodwa Khoza, the Pirates brand manager confirmed the signing of Trinidad and Tobago left back Avery John who featured in the Vodacom Challenge Cup third position play-off match against St Eloi Lupopo in Durban on Sunday.
In addition, Zodwa also confirmed that managing director Irvin Khoza finalized the deal for the TP Mazembe attacking right wingback Felix Musasa Muamba distinguished by his trademark white boots and hand gloves.
"The boy is excited about the prospect of playing for Pirates and has already made enquiries regarding which jersey number he would be wearing."
Khoza added that Trinidadian Avery was simply brilliant against Lupopo and the club was delighted to have reached agreement with him to pursue his career in South Africa with the defending league champions.
"He was invited here after he was spotted during his country's match against Bafana Bafana," explained Zodwa. "And although he impressed during training, his overall performance against Lupopo was the clincher.
"He had been offered a contract and the boy returns to the Caribbean while the club submits applications for his work permit as well. We are determined to build a solid team for the African Champions League and we are searching for the very best of the best players for Pirates."
Zodwa also revealed that Avery left a letter at the club's Parktown offices thanking Pirates for the hospitality extended to him during his stay while on trial and the opportunity given to him to pursue his career with the club.
Zodwa also revealed that the list of players who would be off-loaded to try their luck elsewhere would be released before the end of the week.

Longford officials try to block Avery John.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
11-Jun-2003 - Defender Avery John could end up at a new club within the next few months. John is contracted with Irish Premier side Longford Town. But John mentioned that if things don’t go smoothly, he will look at other options available. Longford officials attempted to block John from joining the T&T team for the African tour at the last minute, and word is he could experience problems in getting his place back on the team.
“You want to always get at the highest level and my training experience with Colchester United where I got to face clubs like West Ham and Tottenham Hotspurs really opened my eyes. I was able to play against guys like Joe Cole and there were no problems in terms of being able to match these guys. Going to England is the aim but Spain and Germany is also filled with top football and that’s where you get the chance to play Champions League football,” said John.

U's miss out on Avery John.

By: fleX
21-Aug-2002 - Colchester United will not be signing Trinidad and Tobago international Avery John, reports BBC Essex & Colchester website.
The Home Office has ruled the Trinidad and Tobago international has not played enough matches to qualify for a work permit.
"We have spent considerable time and money pursuing Avery's work permit so it's very disappointing," said Colchester Manager Steve Whitton.
"His agent wasn't aware he hadn't played enough matches for Trinidad and Tobago."
The U's had agreed a deal for the left-sided defender in the summer after he arrived in England from Irish side Bohemians.
U' Chief Executive Marie Partner also confirmed that the decision to reject John's permit came in the light of the Home Office keeping tab on the number of foreign players coming into the Country.
Colchester United has been advise against appealing aganist the decision, as it was unlikey to be revised. And as such, the move for the impressive looking Avery John is now dead.