Jesse would do it a second time.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
National Under 17 goalkeeper Jesse Fullerton is these days trying to settle back into the system at Cypress Bay High School in the United States.
Fullerton spent the last few months with the T&T team leading up to the FIFA Under 17 World Championship in South Korea and made an appearance in T&T’s final Group encounter with Germany. The eventual third place finishers got five goals past Fullerton but that it no way deterred him and his future ambitions. Ultimately he wants to wear the gloves for the T&T Senior Team and wants to turn pro, preferably in Europe. But he’s also ensuring that academically he handles himself as well.
He didn't even get to take in the VIP lounge welcome home reception at the Airport when the team returned... having to take his bags off in New York and head back for resumption of classes at Cypress Bay.
The tough-body goalie was second choice to Glenroy Samuel who played in all of T&T’s final round qualifying matches as well as the first two affairs with Ghana and Colombia at the World Championship. But while Fullerton took up place on the bench during that period after being the regular starter in the early stages, he noted that his game took a new turn and his level of maturity went up a notch.
And appearing for his country at a World Championship has been the “right topping on the ice cream so far” for a young chap who admires the work of persons like Shaka Hislop, the Inces, Jacks and appreciates the work done with him by goalkeeper coach and former T&T international Ross Russell.
“It was quite an experience for me,” Fullerton told TTFF Media.
“It was a totally different game out there and I got to experience that first hand against the Germans. Their game play and speed was precise and quick and they were so discipline in everything they did.
“This was a real eye opener as everyone would have realized by now but it’s something too that will remain with us and we need to take advantage of what we experienced out there.”
Fullerton added that his initial thoughts before taking the field against the Germans remains part of his pre-match mental game preparation to date.
“Trying to have the best game I can… keeping my mistakes down and trying to make my country proud,” he stated.
“There is a gap that we need to narrow. We need to play at a high level right through but it doesn’t happen that easily so as players we need to do our own work as well. The Colleges league didn’t help us out to that extent in terms of being ready for a World Cup and even at my high school in the US… the level isn’t that great. The teams we played in Korea had players who are getting accustomed to playing against big men and that’s one aspect we need to look into if we have to try and close this gap,” he continued.
Despite the distractions or hurdles he and his teammates would have encountered, there still is nothing that would make Fullerton turn down the option of such an experience.
“Yes I would do this all over again from tomorrow if I had the chance,” he concluded.
