Beenhakker calls five newcomers for Iceland warm up.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
National Team head coach Leo Beenhakker has included five new players in his 20-man squad to face Iceland in this country’s next warm-up international at Loftus Road, England on February 28.
The Dutch-born coach, following several scouting missions, has selected English-born Fulham goalkeeper Anthony Warner, Swindon Town midfielder Ricky Shakes and coming out of the recent training camp in Fort Laurderdale, defenders Nigel Henry and Anthony Noreiga as well as promising left sided player Kevon Neaves.
The rest of the squad includes the regulars who were part of the squad during the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign. They are: Shaka Hislop, Clayton Ince, Dennis Lawrence, Avery John, Marvin Andrews Cyd Gray, Chris Birchall, Aurtis Whitley, Silvio Spann, Carlos Edwards, Russell Latapy, Stern John, Kenwyne Jones, Collin Samuel and captain Dwight Yorke.
Beenhakker added that the door has not be closed on any player for selection on the final 23-man squad which will go to the World Cup but he did say that he has to make use of the players at his disposal who he thinks can make a difference at the international level and hence his reason for selecting the newcomers for the match later this month. As a result there are some players who were not invited to play at Loftus Road. Some of them include Dundee goalkeeper Kelvin Jack who is now coming off an injury and has not been seeing action for his club, Gillingham defenders Brent Sancho and Ian Cox, Falkirk midfielder Densill Theobald, and US-based strikers Cornell Glen and Scott Sealy.
“Since the qualification in November, we have done a lot of scouting activities to see many players who until now were not involved in the team within my period as national coach. As a result of this I will give a fair chance to the new players Anthony Warner, Ricky Shakes, Anthony Noreiga, Nigel Henry and Kevon Neaves based on what we saw from them in training and matches,” Beenhakker told TTFF Media on Thursday.
The former Real Madrid boss went on to explain that with still over three months before he makes his final selection for the 2006 World Cup, the players not in the squad to face Iceland are not out of the running for a final pick.
“Having to give other players a chance means between other things that for this game several usual players like Kelvin Jack, Ian Cox, Brent Sancho, Densill Theobald and Jason Scotland among others, are not invited for this game. I informed most of them and want to explain everybody that the door is far from closed for this players, so they have to keep their eyes on the ball.
“I want to have a good overview of all available players just to make the right decisions at the moment to make the final choice of the 23 players who will represent T&T in Germany,” Beenhakker added.
He also has not counted out the possibility of Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel, West Ham striker Bobby Zamora as well as Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte who has Trinidadian parentage but ends up in the same problem as Zamora and Samuel as he has represented England at youth level and has already turned 21. He turns 22 in November and is currently on loan to Sunderland.
“The door is not closed and in that way I am also still hopeful that guys like Jlloyd Samuel, Bobby Zamora and possibly Justin Hoyte will be available, as you know they were already involved in England teams and FIFA regulations don't permit them for the moment to play for T&T,” Beenhakker said.
The T&T-based contingent will depart Piarco on February 25 and the full squad will assemble at the Renaissance Hotel, Heathrow the following day with a training session carded for the QPR training ground in the evening period.
Prior to that weekend, there will be sessions conducted in Trinidad in collaboration with the clubs of which the selected players are attached.
T&T squad for Iceland match:
Goalkeepers:[/b]
Shaka Hislop (West Ham United), Clayton Ince (Coventry City), Anthony Warner (Fulham).
Defenders:[/b]
Cyd Gray (San Juan Jabloteh), Marvin Andrews (Glasgow Rangers), Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Avery John (New England Revolution), Anthony Noreiga (Kansas City Wizards), Nigel Henry (unattached).
Midfielders:[/b]
Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Aurtis Whitley (Jabloteh), Silvio Spann (unattached), Kevon Neaves (University of South Florida), Carlos Edwards (Luton Town), Ricky Shakes (Swindon Town), Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC), Russell Latapy (Falkirk).
Forwards:[/b]
Stern John (Coventry City), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton), Collin Samuel (Dundee United).
