Barnes: Caribbean can match European talent.
By: Lasana Liburd (Express).[/size]
Former England and Liverpool star John Barnes hailed the Caribbean as arguably the last relatively untapped resource for football talent in the world and insisted the region's youth needed only discipline, attitude and opportunity to succeed.
Barnes, a two-time English domestic champion and FA Cup winner with Liverpool, is in Guyana at present where he spearheads the Digicel Kick Start clinic that will roll through eight Caribbean islands over the next three months.
The Digicel clinic has already formed a partnership with England Premier League team, Sunderland, and, in April, Barnes will select six talented under-20 players from throughout the region for a weeklong training stint with the Sunderland Academy. Barnes held his first session on Monday in Georgetown and feels certain that he is in for an exciting time and that Sunderland would benefit from the programme, which was initiated by the Irish-based wireless telecommunication company and endorsed by FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.
"Africa has been saturated with scouts and coaches and you can see that they are now well represented all over Europe," said Barnes.
"It is time for the Caribbean to get that opportunity.
"I think (the Digicel clinic) provides a wonderful opportunity and great exposure for these youngsters but the best thing is that they would play alongside top class youth players and realise that they are no better than them."
Barnes is living testimony of his boast. He was 13 when he left his native Jamaica for London with his Trinidad-born dad, Colonel Ken Barnes.
Within four years, he had already debuted professionally with Watford.
Barnes is living testimony of his boast. He was 13 when he left his native Jamaica for London with his Trinidadian-born dad, Colonel Ken Barnes.
Within four years, he had already debuted professionally with Watford and went on to win 79 caps for England.
"I didn't start playing at 13 and get good at 17," he said. "The truth is that I could already play in Jamaica."
Sunderland might not need convincing.
The self-titled "Black Cats" are led by Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup captain Dwight Yorke, while fellow "Soca Warriors" Kenwyne Jones and Carlos Edward are arguably the most valuable players on the club's books.
The 44-year-old Barnes was in the running to be Trinidad and Tobago national coach too although the local Federation chose the more experienced Colombian Francisco Maturana instead.
Thus far, Barnes' coaching resume includes only one disastrous stint at top Scottish Premiership club, Celtic, seven years ago.
He argued that his English roots did not help while, as a first time manager, he did not get the response he wanted from his players.
There has been no second chance yet but he has not given up. "I can see myself as a successful football coach wherever I go," he said.
"It doesn't have to be a big national team or club."
