Atiba Charles eyes Greece pick.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
18-Jan-2006 - Defender Atiba Charles could be heading out soon again on trial in Greece. The Vibe CT 105 W Connection player returned home this month from trial at South Korean top club Busan Park and is likely to head over to an unnamed club in Greece.
Charles has also received a contract offer from a Singapore club, but the possibility of better offers has the Point Fortin-born player weighing his options.
“The trial at Busan went pretty well, but the club may want me back in April and I will have to decide whether I wait until then, or whether I head off to another trial in Greece.
“There’s the club in Singapore which has already put the offer on the table for me,” Charles said last Thursday, as he regrouped with some of his T&T team-mates at a reception launch hosted by Carib at the 51 Degrees on Cipriani Boulevard.
“It’s the same club of our former coach, Ian Porterfield, and everything there is really first class. But time will tell where I end up, hopefully before the World Cup.
“My aim is to also keep my game in order, because the chance to make the World Cup team is watching me in my face at the moment,” added Charles, who also said that Englishman Terry Fenwick is the man behind his next stint in Europe.

Atiba Charles, Gefferson Goulart for South Korea trial.

Trinidad Express Reports.
27-Nov-2005 - Trinidad and Tobago national team defender Atiba Charles and Brazilian midfielder Gefferson Da Silva Goulart were due to leave yesterday evening for a two-week trial at South Korean club Busan I'Park.
The two T&T Pro League players lined up for their last match of the 2005 season for W. Connection Friday night in a FA Trophy quarter-final against Defence Force.
The players were due to fly to Caracas, Venezuela and then onto France before landing at their destination in South Korea, where they will remain until December 8.
The trial was arranged by Englishman Ian Porterfield, the former Trinidad and Tobago national coach. Porterfield now coaches the South Korean club which has had a successful season, reaching the semi-final of the Asian Champions League.
W Connection owner David John Williams said he hopes the players will impress in South Korea and add to the list of overseas players which the local club have produced.

Falkirk keeps track of Atiba Charles.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
15-Jun-2005 - Fresh from double appearances in T&T’s last two World Cup qualifiers, defender Atiba Charles is awaiting word on his overseas career.
The Vibe CT 105 W Connection man is expected to be in the UK on pre-season training later this month but duties at the Gold Cup could keep him doubtful.
He has been recalled by Oldham Athletic but Russell Latapy’s Scottish First Division champions Falkirk also expressed an interest in him.
“I have a few clubs interested and the period coming up will be important for me. I think I have only gotten better in the last few games which I played for the country and this is great news for me and the clubs hopefully. I thought we played a good organised game against Mexico but we just let up at the end and allowed them to get two goals.
But I am confident that we will just get better as a team especially with the Gold Cup coming at this time and come August we will be well prepared for the United States and other teams to follow,” Charles said on Sunday.
While Falkirk is eyeing Charles, his national team-mate defender Marvin Andrews is also gearing for another big season. Andrews and striker Jason Scotland are currently back home enjoying some much needed rest along with another national defender Dennis Lawrence. Andrews’ Glasgow Rangers will be in Canada for pre-season next month.

Atiba Charles attracts UK interest.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
22-Mar-2005 - W Connection defender Atiba Charles is expected to return to Oldham Athletic for preseason training in July.
The former national Under-23 player, currently with the senior team in Miami, spent two weeks at the club with fellow local player Andre Toussaint earlier this month, and was able to give a good account of himself, particularly during a Reserve game for Athletic which they lost 2-1 to Manchester United.
Scouts from Coventry City and a couple other clubs saw him and have also invited him for trials while word is that Falkirk of Scotland have also expressed willingness to see more of him.
“Overall it was a very beneficial experience for me. I thought things went pretty well and the manager at Oldham indicated that he was happy with what he saw,” Charles said on the weekend.

W Connection duo impress at Oldham.

By: Joel Villafana -ttproleague.com
07-Mar-2005 - The W Connection duo of Atiba Charles and Andre Toussaint are generally pleased with their recent stint at English League One club Oldham Athletic.
Both players were invited to a 2 week trial at the club—after impressing the scouts.
The two local players played in a reserve game in which Oldham lost 2-1 to a Manchester United outfit, and according to reports there is a possibility that both Charles and Toussaint, may get a pre-contract with the club, since the international transfer window is currently closed.
However, having done well in the game against Manchester United, there are reports that other clubs are now expressing interest in the T&T players.
National under-23 striker Andre Toussaint told ‘ttproleague.com’ that it was a pretty good experience, citing the only downside being the coach of Oldham was fired while they were there and the newly appointed coach did not see much of the local striker.
Toussaint however, described the practice game he played as challenging—saying, “out there you have to fight and get the ball when you can—your own teammates just do not pass the ball to you—so when you get the ball you have to ensure you make the best of it.”
The 24 year old W Connection striker admitted his ambition is to secure a contract in Europe and he is anxiously working towards that goal.
As for national defender Atiba Charles—he also believed that it was a good stint, and was happy with his performance over the two-week trial.
Atiba is determined to continue to impress at the international level with Trinidad and Tobago and is hopeful on also securing a contract in Europe.

Atiba Charles & Andre Toussaint on trial at Oldham Athletic.

By: Joel Villafana -ttproleague.com
23-Feb-2005 - Vibe CT 105 W Connection has seen two more of their players attract European interest. Defender Atiba Charles and striker Andre Toussaint are currently on trials with English League One team Oldham Athletic.
W Connection sent video clippings of the two players to Oldham and the English based club immediately expressed interest in the two W Connection players and asked them to attend a ten-day trial.
Atiba Charles has been creating waves on the national senior team in recent times—playing a key role in defence, while Andre Toussaint made his mark on the international scene as one of this country’s top under 23 strikers.
The both players have also played key roles in W Connection’s starting line up in the 2004 T&T Pro League season. W Connection’s owner David John Williams told ‘ttproleague.com’ that he is excited and very happy for the both players.
“Both Atiba and Andre are hard workers and deserve what comes their way, this can prove to be an excellent opportunity for the young players.” John Williams continued, “W connection continues to expand its horizons and this is just another opportunity for us to showcase the abundance of talent that exist in Trinidad and Tobago.” Both players are due back in the country on the March 1st.

Pro League stars make their mark on the national team says Lincoln Phillips.

By: Joel Villafana - ttproleague.
22-Feb-2005 - Gone are the days when Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign-based players can just walk into the national team without being seriously challenged by our very own local professionals.
Caledonia AIA Fire’s Denzil Theobald, Defence Force’s Anton Pierre and W Connection’s Atiba Charles have all made outstanding contributions to this country’s national team in recent times, both in the Digicel Cup and the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.
While there have been others who have also made their mark on the international scene, in the likes of Jabloteh’s Angus Eve, Keyeno Thomas, Nigel Pierre, Kerry Baptiste and Daurance Williams, W Connection’s Jose Luis Seabra and Caledonia Fire’s Conrad Smith.
Denzil Theobald, Anton Pierre and Atiba Charles have all come in for high commendation from Trinidad and Tobago’s Technical Director Lincoln ‘Tiger’ Phillips.
Mr. Phillips told ‘ttproleague.com’ that these three players have come on leaps and bounds and have made fantastic contributions to the national effort.
“Theobald, Pierre and Charles have all emerged as solid players that can hold their own in the team,” said Phillips.
The ‘Tiger’ as he was known back in his goalkeeping days said Theobald has a fantastic attitude, “he always has a smile on his face even when a foreign player may come in and take his place, he never allowed his head to drop and kept working hard and continued to develop and when he got his opportunity in the game against the USA he grabbed it and not only played a supporting role—but dictated things in the midfield.”
“I assure you he has places to go.”
Speaking about the Defence Force’s Anton Pierre—Mr. Phillips is most impressed by his work ethic and believes the country has not seen the best of Anton Pierre.
“He is now an important part of our defence and he is now growing in confidence with every game and soon he will start displaying his ability by putting the ball on the ground and start spreading it around and creating plays for our midfielders.”
As for W Connection’s Atiba Charles—Lincoln Phillips described him as a real student of the game, saying he is also a very hard worker and he has a big future ahead of him.
“Atiba will soon emerge as one of the country’s top defenders, he has a tremendous amount of natural ability and once he continues to develop, the sky is the limit.”
The ‘Tiger’ concluded by praising the T&T Pro League for its role in developing our young footballers and encouraged the league to continue to work hard at its objectives.

Atiba Charles on UK trial.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
18-Feb-2005 - Atiba Charles will not contest in the upcoming Digicel Caribbean Cup Finals starting on Sunday. Charles was originally carded to travel with the team but has had to withdraw himself as he travels this week to go on trials in England.
St Clair remained upbeat going into the tournament which will allow his team the chance to get in some more practice for the next 2006 World Cup qualifier against Guatemala on March 26.
“It’s going to be the first set of games for the team after the defeat to the United States and I believe it has come at a good time for us,” St Clair told TTFF Media.
“We are without several of our players who are based in the UK because we have not been able to access them because of their schedules, but this gives some of the other players a chance to demonstrate what they are capable of doing. Even Atiba now has to leave us but that is how the modern game is,” St Clair added.
Team official Richard Braithwaite expressed anticipation ahead of the Finals, also commenting on Charles sudden call for overseas trials.
“The issue of the local versus foreign based players is a dead one because if for example Atiba is successful on his trial, he now becomes a overseas pro and will face the same problems in being a full time member of the team. I don’t think we should discard him because of that. It’s a bit unfortunate but we are prepared to move on in Warrior like fashion.
"We were informed late this afternoon that Atiba Charles is leaving on Sunday for a trial with an English club so the coach has had to make a last minute adjustment to the squad. It is not an ideal time for us but it is in the interest of his professional career and we wish him well. If he succeeds it means that he will join the ranks of our recent overseas pros like Kenwyne Jones, Silvio Spann and Marlon Rojas. This clearly shows the futility of focusing exclusively on a locally-based squad players because in the morning they could all be based abroad. Football is one of the first truly globalized industries and the reality of the modern game is that many of your players could end up playing overseas. The challenge therefore is to pull together the best players as regularly as possible whether they are in England, the US or Trinidad and Tobago," Braithwaite said on Thursday as he and other members of staff tied up some last minute arrangements prior to the team’s departure.