Young Britto aims for higher.
By: Shaun Fuentes (TTFF).[/size]
National Under 15 team captain Jerrel Britto was among the first to welcome back this country's Under 17 footballers as they walked through the VIP lounge of the Piarco International Airport the day after qualifying for the FIFA Under 17 World Championship back in May.
He had been part of the provisional squad prior to the CONCACAF final round but didn't make the cut. He also didn't let that prevent from him from holding up a "Welcome back Warriors" banner upon the team's arrival. Some four months later he wore the armband proudly for the T&T Under 15s and finished as the tournament's topscorer with 15 goals, guiding T&T to third spot in the CFU U15 Youth Cup.
The 15-year-old Queen's Royal College student is not easily carried away though, even though his showing off in front of goal before converting T&T's final goal in last Thursday's 5-0 win over Guyana may have suggested that he hardly rated the opposition. He watched on as the T&T Under 17s suffered defeats in South Korea and knows that finishing as topscorer is merely a title.
"It was a very good experience because I'm now gaining the exposure," the San Juan Jabloteh player told TTFF Media. "I was happy to be part of the Under 15 team especially as I had the experience of being with the Under 17s so in a way I was like a senior player here and I tried to pass it on."
"We had a fighting spirit and we were a family type team. The staff was always with us. We were always talking and trying to do the right things spiritually, mentally and with the game itself. I hope we can stay together, train hard and come out on top with the qualifiers next year. I'm really looking forward to that now," added Britto who hails from San Juan.
"My aim is to keep on working hard because I see too that the level is a high one on the world stage.
"I looked at the Under 17s on TV and you could see they tried very hard. I want to be part of that as well so I know we have a lot of work to improve as a team and qualify for the next World Cup as well," Britto said. The young forward score in all of T&T's six games in the tournament, tallying 15 of the 27 goals scored. Teammate Anslem Jackson and Dinell Lopez were next with three goals apiece.
Photo shows Britto second from right in training with the U-17s prior to their departure for South Korea.
Scored for mom on her birthday.Express writer Lorraine Waldropt-Ferguson continues her Questions and Answers Series with top sportsmen and women and today she takes to the football field with Jerrel Britto.Britto is captain of Trinidad and Tobago's Under-15s. He's young, eager and full of energy, but while his feet on the ball move a mile a minute, his mind is sound and grounded. A Fourth Form student of Queen's Royal College, Britto's world revolves around three main elements: spirituality, sports and school. He is one of T&T's most promising football stars and has proven through his school and national feats that football is indeed his gift from God!
Just recently, in the still to be concluded Caribbean Football Union Under-15 Tournament being played here, he captured the Man of the Match awards in his first two games against Bahamas and Aruba and is the leading light in the Most Goals thus far, netting six times.
A member of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh's youth team, Britto also captured the Team's Most Goals Trophy on two occasions last year and the Most Goals and MVP titles for the Pro League the same year.
Hailing from San Juan, he has been a mainstay on the National Under-17 team for three years. However, he has been playing the field since age eight, his first Football Club being Family Soccer Coaching Academy.
In years to come, Britto hopes to dribble his way to the English Premier League and land a contract with one of the top notched British clubs. However, he recognises that he can't do anything without a firm faith and his personal recipe for success: prayer, motivation and support.
Q&A1. Your most significant accolade in sports?[/b]
Winning the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in the Pro League in 2006.
2. Your most memorable moment in sports?Scoring the goal to deny Queen's Royal College (QRC), my school team, relegation in the 2006 InterCol competition.
3. In three words, your recipe for a successful athlete?Prayer. Motivation. Support!
4. Your greatest joy?Relaxing with family.
5. Your secret fear?Getting injured while playing!
6. The best advice you received and from whom?Never get swell-headed and motivate younger players...Coach Carrington!
7. Your most embarrassing moment?Being dropped from the National Under-17 First Team!
8. Your happiest moment?When I scored a goal for my mother on her birthday in one of my InterCol matches.
9. The part of your body you like the most?My feet!
10. The part of your body you would change given the chance?None!
11. After a hard game what relaxes you?Seeing my parents and friends!
12. The best book you ever read?Green days by the river!
13. Your favourite music?Gospel.
14. What would be your dream profession?A manager of a company.
15. The one thing most people do not know about you?I talk in my sleep!
16. Your pet peeve?Noise!
17. Your favourite food?Macaroni pie, callaloo, baked chicken and fried rice.
18. The athlete you most admire?Samuel Eto.
19. Your secret personality weapon?My discipline.
20. Your personal credo?You can't do anything without God!
21. Your most irresistible temptation?Reading The Bible!
22. The one place you would like to visit before you die?Grenada.
23. Your most elusive goal?To be awarded a professional contract to play in the English Premier League (EPL).
24. What advice would you give to T&T's youth?If you have a talent, don't be afraid to use it!
25. What is your solution to crime in T&T?More visible police patrols and a more unbiased and uncorrupted Police Service!
Captain of Trinidad and Tobago's Under-15s, Jerrel Britto.
Note:Britto bagged four awards for his team San Juan Jabloteh in 2007. The Queens Royal College student, and Trinidad and Tobago youth player, won the U-15 Most Valuable Player, U-15 Most Goals, Chairman’s Award and the Special Award Youth Catogory.
