'Soca Warriors' get taste of Manchester weather
Tuesday, May 16th 2006 - Source: SOCAWARRIORSTT.COM[/color]
Trinidad and Tobago’s World Cup footballers experienced another day of double sessions under head coach Leo Beenhakker but with a difference, this time under wet conditions in their second day at De Vere Carden Park in Manchester.
Following their 8am wake up call, Beenhakker put his men through their paces 90 minutes later but the “Soca Warriors” had to ride their bikes to the training field under a persistent drizzle and cold winds constantly swept across the field. While it was expected to be a bit similar to the conditions in Port of Spain at this time of year, skipper Dwight Yorke and his teammates had no difficulty all being accustomed to the miserable weather.
The evening session, like the previous ones here, were also behind closed doors but Beenhakker split the squad, allowing physiotherapist Oba Gulston, a new addition to the squad for the World Cup, to work in the swimming pool with the players had been playing with their clubs until recently. Yorke meantime accompanied the others in an outdoor session on the pitch which included a five-a-side scrimmage played in between drizzles and occasional sun peeks.
Gulston’s aqua workout was well received by the players and even some of the hotel guests and they all made use of the saunas before warming up for Cecil Wint’s “home cooked” supper.
While the media here has been constantly trying to get hold of the UK-based players like Dennis Lawrence, Carlos Edwards, Yorke and the others, T&T-based midfielder Aurtis Whitley was reported in the News of the World on Sunday to be heading to Portsmouth. This was all news to Whitley though as he confirmed that neither he nor his agent Ricky Hill had received any offer from the club which he spent a few weeks on trial at earlier this year.
“This was news to me. As far as I am concerned, I remain a Jabloteh player and my agent has had no word from Portsmouth about me making a move there,” Whitley told TTFF Media.
Reflecting on the recent 1-1 draw with Peru and his first couple days on the Europe-leg of T&T’s build up to Germany, the rock solid Whitley added: “I think the run against Peru came at the right time and the coach knows what he has planned for us to get ready for the first three games at the World Cup. I am up for whatever position he wants to use me in and time will tell where I really play when the real action starts. I have had a taste of what the training is like up here with the weather but obviously it’s a bit different with the national team and under the coach we have. We are getting ready for a World Cup so I don’t expect anything to be a walk through. At the same time I am enjoying it so I don’t think you can expect me to complain,” Whitley added after he and a few of the players enjoyed a round of table tennis in the hall just outside the players rooms.
And while Whitley keeps his focus on representing T&T at the World Cup, saying all club offers will be dealt with after the finals, veteran midfielder Russell Latapy has not allowed too much time to go by without scoping out the opponents.
Latapy commented on the surprise selection of 17-year-old striker Theo Walcott on the England squad. Walcott had now finished writing his driver’s license exam when he received the news of his selection.
“I’m aware of Theo. I think he is a fantastic young player. It was a brave but good decision from the coach because players like that are the future of football,” Latapy said.
“ Like everything else you have got difficult decisions to make and at times you have to make them based not only on the present state but also looking ahead to the future.”
As to whether it makes T&T’s contest any easier having to face rookie strikers and not the likes of the injured Wayne Rooney, Latapy added: “No it doesn’t because at times it’s difficult when the players are sometimes given this chance to make a name for themselves. In my opinion, Wayne e is one of the best young players in the world and these players deserve to be at the World Cup. It’s very sad for him and hopefully he recovers.”
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