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Offline Tallman

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Andre Rampersad Thread
« on: June 19, 2019, 08:35:06 PM »
WATCH: Andre Rampersad scores his first goal for Halifax Wanderers FC with an emphatic volley during their 2-1 loss to league leaders Cavalry FC

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/rZfBYyiGzj0?start=146" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/rZfBYyiGzj0?start=146</a>
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Offline Tallman

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Wanderers midfielder Andre Rampersad coming back in 2020
« Reply #1 on: November 14, 2019, 01:27:03 PM »
Wanderers midfielder Andre Rampersad coming back in 2020
By John Molinaro (canpl.ca
)

First, HFX Wanderers re-signed their top scorer. Then they decided to bring back their starting goalkeeper.

On Thursday, Wanderers locked up one of their key midfield linchpins, announcing they have come to terms with Andre Rampersad on a contract for 2020.

“It’s an awesome feeling to be honest, I already miss Halifax. I miss the soccer too and the fans there are the love of my heart, so I’m excited to come back,” said Rampersad, who is currently back home in Arima, Trinidad and Tobago.

Rampersad, 24, was a regular starter  as HFX’s go-to box-to-box midfielder this season and was one of the club’s most consistent performers, scoring one goal and tallying an assist in 25 league appearances.

After playing for FC Santa Rosa in his native Trinidad and Tobago, Rampersad joined Wanderers last January, along with countrymen Jan-Michael Williams, Elton John and Akeem Garcia as the club’s first international signings.

“He showed promise every time he played but as the season went on and he started to become more comfortable, he showed the freedom to bring his qualities to the games,” HFX coach Stephen Hart said of Rampersad.

Rampersad admitted one of his goals next season is to improve his offensive production.

“With the team now, I have to play a leadership role and I feel like I can get better as far as goals are concerned,” he said.

Hart revealed there was interest in Rampersad from other clubs, but the Trinidadian had his heart on returning to Halifax next year.

“The first season was amazing at the Wanderers Grounds, they push us every time, so next season I can only imagine it will get better and we need to pay back the fans and the city of Halifax,” Rampersad said.

The new deal for Rampersad comes on the heels of Wanderers recently coming to terms with forward Akeem Garcia (the team’s top scorer in 2019, with seven goals) and goalkeeper Christian Oxner (six clean sheets, fourth-best in the league).

HFX also used the No. 1 pick in the recent CPL-U SPORTS Draft to select left winger Cory Bent from Cape Breton University. Wanderers used their second-round pick on Jake Ruby, a right fullback from Trinity Western University. Both prospects are expected to report to pre-season training camp next March when they’ll try to earn a spot on Wanderers’ roster for the 2020 CPL season.
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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2019, 02:18:04 PM »
 :applause: :applause: :applause:

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Midfielder Andre Rampersad named captain of Halifax Wanderers
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2020, 01:47:59 PM »
Midfielder Andre Rampersad named captain  of Halifax Wanderers
hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca


Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart has chosen three influential players from the team’s inaugural season to lead the squad into The Island Games.

Midfielder Andre Rampersad will wear the captain’s armband on the pitch, with centre-back Peter Schaale ready to take over should he not play.

Full-back Alex De Carolis has been named as the Wanderers club captain which comes with leadership duties off the pitch.

 All three players are popular with the fans and have shown themselves to be inspirational characters with their teammates.

“I have confidence in them and I know they will do the job,” said Coach Hart. “The reasoning for naming three is so it’s clear that if one is substituted who will be captain, so it just saves any confusion.”

Hart’s announcement represents a huge honour for all three players who have become integral members of his roster.

Rampersad established himself as one of the Canadian Premier League’s most dependable performers last season with his box-to-box midfield game.

The Trinidad and Tobago player was recognized for that by his teammates in the club’s last match of the 2019 season, when they handed him the captain’s armband in a spontaneous gesture just before the kick-off.

“That in itself speaks volumes,” said Hart. “He has always shown a leadership edge and the willingness to make demands of players and pull them up when things are not going well. I expect him to be my voice on the field.”

The Trini midfielder said he is thrilled to get the armband.

“It means a lot and I’m going to bring everything to the table. I know I have to lead by example and be there for my team and we owe our fans this season, so we will be doing the best we can,” he said.

Another player well respected by his teammates, Alex De Carolis became a leading member of the squad last season and demonstrated his commitment during the pandemic lockdown, helping players stay connected to each other, as well as the fans through social media.

Hart notes the veteran defender’s off the field dedication is a key reason for his selection.

De Carolis, who at 27 is the oldest member of a young squad, said he’s proud to be the Wanderers club captain.

“I love this team, the fans and the club and I’m honoured. The seven returning players, we all know where we finished last season, so we have something to prove as well and we want to show everyone what we’re made of,” De Carolis said.

Peter Schaale said the trio work well together with a strong mutual respect as well as confidence in the squad as a whole going into the Island Games.

“This is a natural role for me and the three of us are leaders but you don’t have to be wearing an armband to be a leader and we have a lot of strong characters and everybody knows their job,” Schaale said.

The big German, who was captain for the Cape Breton Capers during a tremendously successful spell for the University, said his main priority as a leader will be bringing security to the team’s defence.

“We are all buzzing to get going and to try our best to bring the championship back to Halifax because I think we’re capable of doing it.”

The Island Games kicks off August 13th with a repeat of last year’s final between Cavalry and champions Forge.

Remember, you can follow the Wanderers on PEI by joining The Collective which includes exclusive first-access to the Wanderers away jersey as one of many benefits when you sign up.

And stay tuned to our social media channels for all the latest Wanderers and league news in the run up to the games.

Come on you Wanderers!
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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2020, 04:38:06 PM »
Andre Rampersad re-signs with Halifax Wanderers for another 2 years plus a club option in 2023
By Dylan Lawrence (hfxwanderersfc.canpl.ca)


Oh captain, my captain!

Wanderers supporters would agree that Andre Rampersad has proven to be a spice of positivity for Halifax’s professional soccer team. Steering the Wanderers from a last-place finish in 2019 to an impressive second-place finish in 2020, he has shown leadership through his actions both on and off the pitch.

Andre Rampersad returns to the HFX Wanderers under a new contract where the Trinidadian midfielder has committed for another two years with a club option in 2023.

Andre connected with Wanderers Brand Manager Dylan Lawrence to discuss the factors that impacted his decision, as well as what the city of Halifax now means to him.

Dylan Lawrence: You’ve signed a new contract with the Wanderers. What helped with that decision?

AR: Reaching the finals last season was a big thing for us. I know the majority of the guys are going to be back and we’re going to have our next chance to make the final. So it was an easy decision for me to make the decision to come back.

You’ve committed for a couple years. What was a key factor in that decision?

AR: Yeah, almost three years. I met my girlfriend here in Halifax and with everything going on, you don’t know what’s going to happen in the world tomorrow, right? So being in Halifax, feeling safe and feeling loved definitely helped me with my decision to (stay)… and for that long.

Since the inaugural year, how has it been having others on the team from Trinidad?

AR: It just makes it so much easier on you as a player. So much more comforting because if you have problems, it’s easy to go to these guys and they help you out, talk to you and especially Stephen and Jan as coaches. You can go to them and get a straight-up answer on what you can work on or what you can do to get better.

That’s really great that you have that here. I know you’re close with your Grandmother, how hard is it being away from her and the rest of your family?

AR: It’s pretty tough, but she wouldn’t want anything else than for me to be living my dream and doing it to the best that I can, as long as it takes. I definitely miss her a lot and I know she misses me, but she knows the cause and she knows the reason. She wouldn’t tell me anything different than to go out and live my dream.

You’ve mentioned how welcoming the people in Halifax are, but could you try to explain what is so special about the community here that makes you feel that way?

AR: Well, it goes back to the first season when I got here. Kind of like being a nobody, coming into a team where you want to win something, and the people don’t really know you but they welcome you (anyways). Last season we didn’t do as well and they stuck with us. Even now throughout the pandemic they’ve stuck with us, didn’t cause a riot about not getting to see games, they just continue to support us as much as they can. To see that amount of support… it’s impossible not to fall in love with people like that. It’s an amazing thing that this city has and the people here. They continue to be so genuine and so nice.

Interesting to hear you say you came here as a nobody. I actually don’t know much about this, but what is the story of how you started playing professional football?

AR: I started playing professionally – if you want to call it that – I was playing second division in Trinidad with my old team, FC Santa Rosa, Derek King came in as the coach for that final season before we got (to Halifax). Derek King was known for winning a lot and he’s been in championships before and worked with the Trinidad National Team and all that. So yeah, he saw my ability and said ‘you know what, I’m going to give this guy a shot’. He then brought Stephen Hart over to watch and he saw me and he was impressed and said he would give me a chance. That sums up what these guys are about; giving guys chances. If you want it, you take it. If you don’t then you made the mistake and you go back to where you started.

You used to play cricket growing up, didn’t you?

AR: Yeah, I was actually in the primary school that I went to, I was the captain. The excitement behind it wasn’t as much growing up as the football, right? So I stuck with the (football) and I was doing pretty well at that age, so I eventually fell in love with it and said, you know what, I’m going to stick with this.

What age were you when you decided football was the path for you?

AR: I was probably 12 years old, just leaving the primary school to go to secondary school. It wasn’t long before I joined (FC Santa Rosa) and it became serious after that.

With the sad news of Diego Maradona’s passing, can you talk about the influence he had on you personally as a footballer?

AR: Just going back to when I was younger, my uncle was a big Pele and Maradona fan. He used to have tapes of them on the VCR and even sit me down and show me how they train and all that. For me, it was complete motivation that came from that. I never got to see him play but I see the clips from YouTube and whatever but these guys mastered the game and motivated the young ones coming up. As you can see now he’s passed away and the world is going crazy. That’s the influence these guys have on not just the sport but the world as a whole and kids growing up.

I couldn’t agree more. What do you hope to inspire in the next generation of football players that come up in the city of Halifax?

AR: What comes with the [responsibility] is that grit and the winning mentality that every day you’re not going to be second, you’re going to be first every day. It might not happen every day but just thinking about it and wanting to come first every day makes it so much better. You just keep fighting and regardless of what comes your way, you can overcome the hurdles and look to improve every day. What I try to do to inspire the kids coming up is to remind them that you’ve got to work hard – it’s not going to come easy. The world of football shows us this every day, whether you’re the best or not, if you’re willing to work harder than your opponent, you’re going to get the result.
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Raised on cricket, Wanderers captain Rampersad has become soccer standout
« Reply #5 on: February 14, 2021, 03:37:00 PM »
Raised on cricket, Wanderers captain Rampersad has become soccer standout
By Glenn MacDonald (The Chronicle Herald)


It is said that cricket as a passion is distinctly contagious.

But even the gentleman’s sport couldn’t eclipse the lure of the beautiful game for Andre Rampersad.

“When I was going to school, I was more into cricket and it was cricket that I really liked,” the HFX Wanderers captain and midfielder from Trinidad and Tobago said in a recent interview.

“I thought it was exciting at the time. But then I found soccer and it took me away. I was probably 12 years old and heading to secondary school. The excitement of football was what caught me and I fell in love with it. I was so good at the time, I figured I better switch and just stick to one. So, I chose soccer.

“I still enjoy cricket. Sometimes when I’m home, I’ll play it in the streets.”

Before long, Rampersad’s rapid accession brought him to the National Super League, a semi-professional association of football clubs in Trinidad. He joined his first pro team – FC Santa Rosa – when he was 18 years old.

“It became serious after that,” said Rampersad, who turned 26 on Feb. 2.

His manager during his final season (2018) with Santa Rosa was Derek King, who assisted Stephen Hart on the Trinidad and Tobago national team and would eventually join Hart’s coaching staff for the Wanderers’ inaugural season.

King invited Hart to a camp in the Caribbean island nation to scout some potential players for the Canadian Premier League club’s first-year roster. From that camp, Hart found his captain (Rampersad) leading scorer (Akeem Garcia) and veteran goalkeeper turned coach (Jan-Michael Williams).

“He came down for a bit to see what we could bring to the Wanderers,” Rampersad recalled. “I guess he thought we could work with his system and the way he wants us to play. He gave us a shot and brought us over and now here we are.”

Hart – the reigning CPL coach of the year after steering his club from a last-place finish in its inaugural season to one victory short of capturing the championship banner in 2020 – has been influential on the Trinidadian trio.

Rampersad said Hart, who hails from the Trinidadian city of San Fernando on the Gulf of Paria, “has definitely changed my life around.”

“Stephen has showed me how to be a professional soccer player,” Rampersad said. “As a coach he always wants you to get better and do better. He’ll say, ‘yeah, you did good today, but can you be better tomorrow?’

“You can always go to him if there are things that are bothering you. Any day, you can go to him and he’s there to give you advice, what to do, how to get better, what to work on. He’s always a positive guy with the team and with the players. He’ll tell us to go out and express yourself, the football belongs to us. When you have that kind of coaching behind you, you’re just free to do what you do best.”

Training and playing alongside his fellow countrymen have also made the transition to a new league in a foreign land a little easier.

“I’ve learned a lot from Akeem and Jan. They have pushed me and really helped me express who I am and what I can do on the football pitch,” Rampersad said.

“It has been easier when you have guys you know around you. We have that chemistry. Even if you have a bad day of training or a bad game, they are around to keep you up and keep pushing you as well.”

After the team struggled through a mediocre first season, only a handful players were welcomed back in 2020. One of them, of course, was Rampersad who Hart rewarded with the captaincy for the leadership he had shown both on the pitch and off.

He was an instrumental force in the Wanderers’ success at the Island Games last summer, when they reached the CPL Final championship.

“Everyone has their own way of being a leader, off the pitch, on the pitch, wherever it may be,” Rampersad said. “For me, playing and keeping the guys intact, motivating them and helping them with their confidence, it all comes naturally to me without even thinking about it.”

His importance to the club was noted in the fall when the Wanderers signed him to a two-year contract with a club option in 2023. Rampersad is among a slew of players who have been inked to new deals.

“We did really well in the league last summer, making the final. But so close, yet so far,” Rampersad said.

“They chose to bring me back because they want to keep together what we have right now. For me, it was an easy decision. This is a team that has accepted me for who I am. I love playing for them and I love playing at the Wanderers Grounds.

“We were all chatting in the off-season saying we need to work harder and be ready for next season because teams are going to be coming after us and we have to be ready for it and not be surprised. Those key players who’ve been brought back will only help with our success.”

Rampersad admits coming from the tropical backdrop of the southern Caribbean Sea to the cooler temperate climes of Nova Scotia was an adjustment.

But it didn’t take long for him to appreciate his new home.

In fact, he has remained in Halifax during this off-season. Rampersad can be found training and working out with teammate and Halifax resident Christian Oxner on a daily basis.

“They have welcomed me here in Halifax. I feel safe, I feel loved,” Rampersad said.

“It goes back to the first year when we had fans at the stadium. I know everyone says it but they are true fans. They are one of the main things that attracted me and made me want to stay here. The people here are really nice. It’s not just the fans but the people in general. It’s nice to live in a city like this.

“Yeah, the snow is a little crazy. But it’s fun ... for a while,” he added with a laugh.
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Offline Tallman

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #6 on: September 28, 2021, 07:27:10 AM »
Halifax Wanderers midfielder and captain, Andre Rampersad named to the Canadian Premier League's Team of the Week (#14)

Another central midfielder who played two excellent games at the base of his team’s midfield and showed real leadership qualities for his manager on the pitch. Rampersad was very good in a tough match against CF Montreal in midweek and didn’t show many signs of fatigue just three days later as he led his team to an important clean sheet against FC Edmonton at the Wanderers Grounds. Rampersad is almost as important to Stephen Hart as Joao Morelli. On a team that is not efficient in front of goal and plays a lot of close games it is the 26-year-old native of Trinidad and Tobago that recognizes key moments to step up, winning the ball and starting transitions. Rampersad gained possession a remarkable 14 times against the Eddies.

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2022, 03:45:42 PM »
Andre Rampersad has now amassed 75 appearances for Halifax Wanderers.

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2022, 03:46:46 PM »
HFX Wanderers’ Andre Rampersad named to Canadian Premier League Team of the Week (#3).
It was a somewhat disjointed game from both sides in Langford, but Rampersad was a major bright spot for Halifax. He had a clear desire to push the ball forward with his own ability on the run, and to win it back when the Wanderers were out of possession — which he did a staggering 15 times.

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #9 on: April 26, 2022, 11:34:57 AM »
Looing like Tallman ' pimping ' this Rampersad  player :rotfl: :rotfl: for national duties?  ;D ;D

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2022, 12:07:20 PM »
Looing like Tallman ' pimping ' this Rampersad  player :rotfl: :rotfl: for national duties?  ;D ;D
LOL. I does just showcase de players and dem accomplishments to make sure the info is out there. Is up to de technical staff to show interest or not. They cyah claim dat dey eh know.
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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2022, 12:15:38 PM »
Looing like Tallman ' pimping ' this Rampersad  player :rotfl: :rotfl: for national duties?  ;D ;D
LOL. I does just showcase de players and dem accomplishments to make sure the info is out there. Is up to de technical staff to show interest or not. They cyah claim dat dey eh know.
Tallman I watching him play every time dey come out to Calgary. I think players like this hungry for an opportunity and they ought to be considered.
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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2023, 02:43:04 PM »
‘Being around these guys will raise my level’: Rampersad ready for long-awaited Trinidad and Tobago call-up
By Benedict Rhodes (canpl.ca)


Halifax Wanderers captain Andre Rampersad was called up to the Trinidad and Tobago national team on Tuesday, ahead of a pair of crucial Concacaf Nations League B matches against the Bahamas and Nicaragua. The 28-year-old midfielder, who is going into his fifth season with the Wanderers, has never played for his country at any level before, but during his standout seasons in Halifax, a call-up has always felt close.

Rampersad told CanPL.ca that circumstances have kept him out of national team camps in the past. One of those circumstances was when travel restrictions due to the pandemic kept him and Wanderers teammate Akeem Garcia out of a camp in 2021, but now that he’s finally going to be joining the team, he’s planning to take full advantage of the opportunity.

“One of the dreams as a kid playing soccer is representing the country,” he said. “To finally see all the hard work that I’ve put in come into play now, it’s definitely a great feeling for me. [I’m] definitely excited to represent the red, white and black. Circumstances made it what it was before, why I wasn’t able to go, but now I’m excited and I’m up for the challenge.

“When you join a national team, the majority of the guys there play in different leagues. [There are] certain guys you probably don’t know, certain guys that play in higher leagues. One is (Kevin) Molino, he plays in MLS, a player that I looked up to for a long time. Just being around these guys will raise my level.”

Garcia and Rampersad aren’t the only connections between the Wanderers and Trinidad and Tobago — former Wanderers head coach Stephen Hart is from the country and formerly coached the national team, and Wanderers goalkeeping coach (and former goalkeeper) Jan-Michael Williams made 80 appearances for The Soca Warriors between 2003 and 2017. Former Wanderers midfielder and defender Elton John also made an appearance for his country in 2012.

Rampersad credits being around so many of his compatriots as a source of motivation, knowing that he too wanted to play a role with the national team. He knew that taking in as much information as he can would be useful in the long run, when that opportunity finally presented itself, which it has now.

“These guys helped me along the way, and just how they carried themselves as professionals,” he said. “At some point, they all represented the country so I definitely took an example of how they did that, and whatever they did.

“I’m thankful to be around these guys, and they helped me for when I get there, how to behave and what it would be like, so when I get in it wouldn’t be too much that I don’t expect.”

Current Trinidad and Tobago assistant coach Derek King was also the Wanderers assistant in 2019, and previously coached Rampersad at TT Super League side FC Santa Rosa. He, along with national team head coach Angus Eve, have been pushing to get the Wanderers midfielder into the national team setup, and finally got their wish.

“[Eve has] tried a lot before to get me in,” Rampersad said. “The assistant coach Derek King is there as well, who was my coach back in the day, and then was the assistant with the Halifax Wanderers.

“The conversation we had was just straight up: ‘We want you here and you can be a big part of what we’re trying to develop and what we’re trying to do’. They believe in me, to be there and show my potential.”

Rampersad said he found out that he was getting called into the national team from Wanderers Sporting Director Matt Fegan, who phoned him recently to give him the good news.

“He said, ‘You know what, this is a great opportunity for you, and we’re gonna let you go’,” Rampersad explained. “He had a word in that and talked to them for me, and there was the opportunity, so I took it.”

Some of Rampersad’s motivation comes from watching Trinidad and Tobago at the World Cup in 2006. That was the first, and so far only, time the nation of about 1.5 million people had qualified for the world’s biggest soccer tournament.

He remembers “the streets flooded with people” and the country going crazy at seeing their local heroes competing on the world stage. A lot of the players he looked up to were on that team, and he says that emotions of watching them play made him think that he too could someday play at the World Cup.

To this day, that remains his dream.

“Maybe [it’s] a long shot from that, or it could happen in the next few years, but definitely [playing at] the World Cup,” Rampersad said of his national team aspirations. “The Gold Cup is coming up, even the qualifiers… Anytime that you get the opportunity to represent your country is definitely an accomplishment, and for me, everything is so meaningful.”

For now, however, he is going to soak up the environment and atmosphere at his first international camp.

Then, after getting back to Halifax and re-joining the Wanderers for the end of their preseason, the hard work continues to get off to a good start in the Canadian Premier League. Rampersad knows that if he and the team play well, more good things could be on the horizon.

“Preseason has definitely been really hard, this is what preseason is, putting in a lot of work,” he said. “The guys have been pushing each other, and the quality is definitely super high, which is good for me going into camp with players of a certain calibre.

“We’re having fun with it, and trying to bring it to the table when we get to April 15.”
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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2023, 12:48:45 PM »
HFX Wanderers captain Rampersad recharged after overdue trip home to Trinidad and Tobago, national team debut
By Glen MacDonald (SaltWire)


It was a homecoming long overdue.

The COVID-19 pandemic and visa restrictions kept HFX Wanderers midfielder and captain Andre Rampersad in his adoptive home of Halifax for the past three years, far from friends and family and the warm climes of his native Trinidad and Tobago.

Instead of riding out another cold Canadian winter, Rampersad was able to return home in December, much to the surprise of one family member.

“I got in late at night and Granny’s in bed, you know she’s my support system,” Rampersad recalled. “She heard my voice, and she was up right away. There was so much emotion, seeing each other after so much time away, the last three years with the pandemic and everything.

“I stayed in Halifax the whole time, just being in the gym trying to keep myself occupied. For the most part, it was tough but that’s one side of the sport.

“I’m just so thankful that God gave me the chance to go home and see them again. It was brilliant. It was something I actually needed. It has inspired me.”

It would end up being Rampersad’s first of two trips back to the Caribbean island nation off the coast of Venezuela.

NATIONAL TEAM DEBUT

Earlier this month, Rampersad was called up to the Trinidad and Tobago national team, ahead of a pair of crucial Concacaf Nations League matches against the Bahamas in Nassau and at home versus Nicaragua. It was the first time the 28-year-old has played for his home country at any level.

The Soca Warriors blanked the Bahamas 3-0 last Friday and played to a 1-1 draw with Nicaragua on Monday.

Enjoying the comforts of home has reinvigorated Rampersad following a difficult 2022 Canadian Premier League season which saw the Wanderers miss the playoffs for a second straight year and forced management to clean house during the off-season.

“It would’ve been too easy to get too comfortable,” said Rampersad, speaking during a recent interview following a training camp session in Halifax.

“After four years of being the captain, I could’ve easily come back and be like, ‘OK, I’m the man.’ But no, it’s back to square one now. We’re just gonna keep pushing for the best for the team and for the city of Halifax.”

Mere days following their season-ending loss to Forge FC, the Wanderers fired Stephen Hart, the club’s inaugural head coach, replacing him with Patrice Gheisar.

It also meant the club had to bid farewell to several players, including those who had been with Rampersad since the Wanderers’ first season in 2019, like keeper Christian Oxner, defender Peter Schaale and forward Alex Marshall. Fellow Trinidadian Akeem Garcia – the Wanderers’ all-time leading scorer – retired in October to pursue coaching opportunities.

Last season’s leading scorer Samuel Salter was dealt to Atletico Ottawa and 2021 Golden Boot winner and player of the year Joao Morelli will miss at least the first half of the 2023 season recovering from major knee surgery.

“I’ve been here from the beginning, I was part of the foundation and I lost a lot of friends,” Rampersad said of the off-season upheaval. “But this is the business side of soccer. You make friends, they become family and then in a moment it can disappear.

“I go back to year one where I had my friends like Christian Oxner or Peter Schaale and then all of sudden, you probably don’t see them ever again. Stephen Hart gave me my shot and every day I thank him for it. And now he’s not at the top anymore. It’s really tough.

“But you just have to move on and try to do what’s best for the club and for the city of Halifax. We made it to the finals in only one year (2020). After that, we were just stagnant. Last year we didn’t really do much. I think, honestly, it was just a matter of time for big changes to be made.”

'A GOOD STEP FOR US'

Rampersad, the Wanderers’ all-time leader in appearances (97), likes what he sees in his new teammates and coach.

“The quality is definitely a lot higher,” Rampersad said. “I think the playing style definitely suits the players that we have. I see a lot of leaders within this group right now and our new goalkeeper has already stepped in.

“If we want to try and play exciting football, then we’ve got to bring in certain pieces to do that. It starts from the top and coach has definitely brought his up-tempo style of play. It just suits everyone.

NEW LOOK WANDERERS

Gheisar has put his stamp on the team, bringing in a boatload of talent like young Brazilian forward Tiago Coimbra, former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Lorenzo Callegari, defender Daniel Nimick, a Vancouver Whitecaps selection in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, and ex-Finnish pro keeper Yann Fillion, among others.

“When he (Gheisar) first signed, he called me right away and he has talked to me every day. He talked about his philosophy and how he would like to play and how much he believes in me. And when you hear that from a new coach coming in, it’s always a delight to hear. It’s definitely a good step for us.”

Gheisar also speaks highly of his team captain.

“You can immediately see what he brings to the team,” Gheisar said of Rampersad. “In training, he sets the standards. You can see what he means to our culture and morale being extremely high. We want amazing people and very good soccer players, rather than amazing soccer players that are not very good people.”

The Wanderers returned to Nova Scotia earlier this week after spending two weeks of training in Florida. They will host the Nepean Hotspurs for their final pre-season match next Friday.

They open the 2023 CPL season on April 15 at Ottawa.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

Offline Tallman

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2023, 02:36:38 PM »
Andre Rampersad makes his 100th appearance for Halifax Wanderers in today's match against Forge FC.

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #15 on: September 16, 2023, 11:52:50 PM »
Definitely a good acquisition by the NT. Pity it took so long.

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Re: Andre Rampersad Thread
« Reply #16 on: October 11, 2023, 12:58:27 PM »
Warrior Profile: Rampersad brings Halifax leadership to Trinidad and Tobago
By Roneil Walcott (T&T Newsday)


A lanky, elegant and combative central midfielder, Halifax Wanderers captain Andre Rampersad has had to wait his turn to don the red, white and black of his homeland at the international level.

Rampersad, 28, made his T&T debut in March in a 2022/23 Concacaf Nations League B fixture away to the Bahamas. The former FC Santa Rosa player put in a solid shift in his "box-to-box" role on that day, as T&T got a 3-0 win, and he hasn't looked back.

Rampersad has made six more appearances for coach Angus Eve's T&T team since his March debut, with each game coming in competitive action for the Soca Warriors.

Rampersad has been patient on his football journey, though. And when he received his T&T senior team call-up in March, he told the T&T Football Association (TTFA) media: "It's definitely a great feeling for me (to be selected for the national team). Timing is everything and it's definitely the time for me to shine.

"Keep working hard, you never know who is looking. These are the principles I live by. I try to put my best foot forward all the time."

Rampersad was indeed recognised for the hard yards he put in over the years, as he inked his first professional contract in 2019, when he was signed by the Canadian Premier League team Halifax.

Before that, he spent most of his career with Santa Rosa, a club he joined from the under-12 age group. He steadily went through the youth ranks at Santa Rosa and made his senior team debut for the club in 2012, alongside fellow Soca Warriors midfielder Duane Muckette. Rampersad became a prominent figure in the middle of the park by the time Rosa clinched the T&T Super League title in 2016 and 2018.

Rosa president Keith Look Loy and former Rosa coach Derek King both helped Rampersad's development, with the latter opening the door for him to make the transfer to Halifax in 2019. At the time, King served as assistant to former T&T head coach Stephen Hart in the Halifax setup. Another Rosa player, Akeem Garcia, was also signed by Halifax, along with the T&T duo of Elton John and former standout goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams, who made over 75 appearances for T&T at the senior level.

Rampersad grew from strength to strength with Halifax, as he was named team captain in 2020.

This year has been a fruitful one for Rampersad, as he reached the 100-game landmark with the Canadian club on April 22 – a month after his long-awaited T&T debut on March 24.

Just four days after his debut, the La Horquetta-born midfielder played in a 1-1 draw for T&T against Nicaragua at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago as the hosts closed off their 22/23 Nations League campaign in a must-win encounter.

Seeking to get promotion for the 2023/24 Nations League A campaign, T&T were effectively given a lifeline as Nicaragua were punished by Concacaf for their illegal use of Uruguayan-born player Richard Rodriguez for the 2022/23 campaign. As a result, T&T received an automatic spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup. They were also promoted to the Nations League A for its 2023/24 cycle – a gateway tournament for the prestigious 2024 Copa America competition.

Rampersad played all three matches for T&T at this year's Gold Cup tournament. In T&T's second group-stage match against their Caribbean rivals Jamaica on June 28, he notched his first international in only his fourth cap. Making a dart towards the six-yard box, Rampersad met a low Levi Garcia cross with a cheeky flick at the near post to beat Jamaican captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake.

T&T eventually fell 4-1 to their Caribbean counterparts before making a group-stage exit, but Rampersad certainly made his presence felt.

He has now made himself a fixture in Eve's team, as he has started both games in T&T's ongoing Nations League A campaign to date. T&T sit atop their Nations League group with a maximum six points after wins against Curacao (1-0) and El Salvador (3-2).

On Friday, Rampersad will join his La Horquetta-born teammates Muckette, Nathaniel James and Neveal Hackshaw when T&T hunt a third consecutive Nations League win in their encounter with Guatemala at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
The Conquering Lion of Judah shall break every chain.

 

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