National Men’s Senior Team head coach Russell Latapy will welcome six Joe Public players into his training sessions this week following the club’s participation in the first round of the Caribbean Club Championship in St Vincent/Grenadines.
Latapy had to without these players at his last four sessions at the Hasely Crawford Stadium as the defending Pro League champions prepared for their matches but he is expected to have them in the mix on Thursday following the club’s fixture with Bermuda’s Devonshire Cougars on Tuesday.
Latapy watched his Senior invitees complete a 4-0 win over Zoran Vranes’ Under 23 squad in a training fixture at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Thursday with forward Devon Jorsling netting all four goals.
Team manager David Muhammad said there was noted progress so far as Latapy attempts to assess the best talent available at home right now.
“Progress was definitely made last week on terms of the head coach getting his selected players to begin to understand his system,” Muhammad told TTFF Media on Sunday.
“Clear details and instructions were given by Mr. Latapy to his team during the 4-0 victory over the National U-23 team and it seemed to work very well.”
Among the players involved under Latapy so far include Jan Michael Williams, Kern Cupid, Sheldon Bataeu, Robert Primus, Keston Williams, Aklie Edwards, Shahdon Winchester, Densill Theobald, Radanfah Abu Bakr, Kendall Jagdeosingh, Joevin Jones, Ataullah Guerra, Jason Macarno, Keon Daniel, Clyde Leon, Devon Jamerson, Kedan Crosby, Keron Cummings, Kevon Carter, Devon Jorsling, Akeem Adams and Dwayne James. They will now be joined by Kerry Baptiste, Trent Noel, Marvin Phillip, Makan Hislop, Glenroy Samuel, Trent Lougheed and Hayden Tinto.
Meantime Hibernian boss John Hughes, former teammate of Latapy at the Edinburgh club and ex-boss at Falkirk, revealed last week that he will be attempting to build a network of former teammates to act as his “eyes and ears” throughout the world and he intends to have Latapy in his network, "It's all about networking, keeping my finger in as many pies as possible,” Hughes told the Scottish Press on Thursday.
“I speak to Russell regularly, the last time being about three weeks ago. He's keeping his eyes and ears open for us – I wouldn't mind him finding another Kenwyne Jones or possibly the next Russell Latapy.
"Russell also knows the market in Portugal from his days playing there and it was because of that we managed to bring Pedro Moutinho and Vitor Lima to Falkirk. Russell certainly has an eye for a player,” added Hughes who visited Trinidad as a player with Hibernian ten years ago.
Training sessions will continue this Wednesday and Thursday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.