Stern could well make new turn.
By: Shaun Fuentes.[/size]
Two matches short of his 100th appearance in full senior internationals for this country, leading goal getter Stern John has been caught asking himself what else he needs to attain if there is any thought that he hasn’t fulfilled his ambitions as a Trinidad and Tobago player.
The Coventry City has played 98 matches for T&T dating back to his debut and maiden goal in a 2-1 win over Finland in a friendly international in February 1995.
And with his contract at Coventry City coming to an end in December, John is silently considering his options for the remainder of his career as a player as he approaches his 30th birthday.
Going through all the trials and tribulations of T&T football from the mid-90s up to its appearance at the 2006 World Cup, John wants new challenges and while he isn’t counting out the possibility of helping T&T to another World Cup, by the time 2010 comes around he will be 33. While John netted five ever important goals in T&T’s closing matches in the qualification bid, many argue that he never fully regained his best footing after a knee injury prior to a World Cup qualifier against Canada in 2000 which put him on the sidelines for several months. It was the second knee injury after a previous one while at Nottingham Forest leading up to the 2000 Gold Cup and both required intense treatment. Since then John held a straight face and an eye for goal but he has always had to pay special attention to the knee, particularly after long air flights, intense training sessions and escaping from robust tackles.
Then again, he was an integral role in T&T history and enjoyed every moment of it.
“This could be the last contract of my career coming up in England and after that I may look to take it down a bit in something not so strenuous,” John told TTFF Media on Tuesday. “As a country we qualified and we did our country proud on the world stage. That was definitely the biggest achievement of my career and maybe it’s time for Stern John to look at himself a bit closer and come to terms with the sacrifices made.
“I’m not getting any younger and the legs aren’t getting any quicker and who knows maybe I could well look at taking a rest from the international scene until the national team really needs me and if they don’t well why not hang up the red shirt,” John quietly added.
It was one of those statements that not many would welcome but then too, those who haven’t seen the value of his contribution may not even raise an eye brow. The likes of Yorke though, who’s going firm at 34 may beg to differ as he has been a supporter of John, even before he made his return to the national team in 2005.
In the meantime though, John revealed that his intention is to secure a good enough offer when his new contract comes along in January as his current deal is about to end at Coventry. That same club priced him out of the market this month, asking for as much as 500,000 pounds for him from the interested clubs.
“I could be looking elsewhere in January because there were other clubs who came with offers but Coventry were asking for too much and that’s there right because they are looking to gain as much as they can off a World Cup player. Right now I’m just focused on banging in a few goals before the Christmas and then hopefully something good will come up. Right now it’s not so much about getting a contract but more about getting what I want in the contract itself,” John added.
He went on to say that managers in the UK are still not open to releasing players to represent their countries, particularly if the distance is far off England.
“Some of the managers don’t even want the players to play for their country and that is something we have to look closely at. We went to the World Cup and we earned respect and no one can take that away from us. But one could wonder whether people also see ways in which they can stop a country’s progress because all of a sudden they see them as a possible threat. And when you look at how many of our players got decent contracts after we almost shocked England, it makes you wonder. I for one thought we would have at least two players in the Premiership or more moving on to bigger clubs. That’s disappointing especially when you look around and see who’s really making the moves and you wonder what’s the difference between them and us.”
As the conversation went further, John thought it fit that he still wanted to contribute to the national team once needed and to the overall national effort as he is currently paying more emphasis on his Stern John Skills Award Program which continues to grow in popularity among local schools. John continues to be the only national player with such a program to assist in the development of young players and still maintains ties with Birmingham City through this and his non-profitable to him as he has even dipped in his pockets for the program. John too is trying a thing at coaching.
“I want to give back in more ways than one. I started my ‘C’ license course and it’s really interesting to see the difference in being a manager and a player. It’s important to learn the game from the manager or the coach’s point of view and you learn to appreciate it more. Its something I would like to do only if I have to because it’s a difficult role. The coach has to be the first one there on the pitch and sometimes the last on to leave and he has a lot more to do like scouting and so. On the other hand I think I can enjoy it. Player management is a big part of the game now and in most cases you find that the players coming through are already equipped with the natural ability and the technical side of it. It’s just a matter of putting the right team together.
“All in all though I hope I can give back to the country in the years to come. The youth is our future. I still remember my first goal against Haiti. I was a teenager then and I came through the ranks. The young players especially from the national team like the recent Under 16s must realize that they have everything to go after. There’s nothing that can compare to playing on the biggest stage or making it in football today either as a player, a coach or even an official,” said John who has scored 18 goals in 38 World Cup qualifiers which leaves him as the highest ever in such competition for T&T. As for now, his Coventry shirt remains a priority and local fans can expect to see him in the T&T kit in upcoming friendly international before year end.
