TTFF disregard Jan-Michael’s tragedy… Grieving goalie considers international retirement
By Lasana Liburd (wired868.com) Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams is considering retiring from international duty at the age of 27; stung by what he perceives as insensitivity by the local football body, the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF), to his tragic personal circumstances.
Williams, who is the captain of Pro League leaders W Connection and played professionally in Belgium and Hungary, has spent much of the past two weeks at the bedside of his 28-year-old fiancée, Candice Worrell, who was brutally assaulted outside her Montrose, Chaguanas work place on January 20.
Worrell, who is a health and safety officer at Jenexcon Engineering and represented Trinidad and Tobago at the 2009 Miss Tourism Queen International, was found unconscious with her jaw broken in two places. She remains in a coma at the St Clair Medical Centre, Port of Spain.
Her cellular phone and wallet were missing while, although medical examination confirmed that she was not sexually assaulted, her pants were pulled off her waist.
Williams and Worrell have a 10-month-old daughter named Nevaeh—heaven spelt backwards.
Williams was pleasantly surprised by the gestures of goodwill from not only his own employers, W Connection, but also fellow Pro League team, DirecTV North East Stars.
Past and present international players such as Stoke City striker Kenwyne Jones, ESPN commentator Shaka Hislop, former TTFF technical director Lincoln “Tiger” Phillips, North East Stars CEO Brent Sancho and the UK-based quartet of Kelvin Jack, Dennis Lawrence, Marvin Andrews and Carlos Edwards also phoned to offer emotional support.
“It was surprising to me and really nice to get calls from Shaka (Hislop) and Kelvin (Jack),” said Williams. “Kenwyne (Jones) and Carlos (Edwards) called me too but then I played with them before so I kind of expected it. But I was surprised for Shaka to call and we spoke for quite some time too.
“Lincoln Phillips calls me almost every day to give me support and find out what is going on and Marvin (Andrews) and Dennis (Lawrence) have been in touch too.”
But the talented goalkeeper is less impressed by the attitude of his other employer, the TTFF, while he also revealed that he tried without success to reach Sport Minister Anil Roberts.
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