Now German-based player eyes T&T pick.
By: Shaun Fuentes.
This country’s National Senior Team coach Leo Beenhakker has had another European-based player to add to his list of newly eligible players for the “Soca Warriors” as the World Cup year quickly approaches.
This time, the man, Malcolm Granado, is a T&T-born who is now attached to former German Bundesliga First Division team 1. FC Schweinfurt 05 and has already sent his relevant details to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation of which Beenhakker has taken note of. He also trained with Bundesliga team Kaiserslautern and was also part of the US Under 23 Olympic Sydney 2000 Development Program. Granado is familiar with current T&T defender Brent Sancho as they were both at St John’s University during the same period.
Granado, born in Port of Spain, had a training stint with the National Senior team a couple seasons ago but was forced to take time off from team due to personal contract commitments in Germany.
He has also had training stints with the United States National Under 20 team, having migrated there at age 13 but he missed out on earning a pick for the World Under 20 Championship in Malaysia.
Granado is now hoping to impress Beenhakker and inch closer to realizing his ambitions of playing for T&T. And playing in a World Cup could now be a dream come true in a matter of months. As a matter of fact, Granado celebrated his 27th birthday on the day T&T defeated Bahrain 1-0 to book its spot in next year’s World Cup.
“I know the type of player he (Beenhakker) is looking to possibly add to the team. I am confident that in God's grace I am the type of player. I believe strongly in myself and I am a team player who contributes both on and off of the field,” Granado told TTFF Media.
“I would love the opportunity for him to see me play or practice because I am confident that I can contribute in a positive manner and be an additional strength on the team.”
Granado is one of several players recently entering the fray of those trying to catch Beenhakker’s attention and the Dutch-born coach is keeping his eyes opened but is ensuring that he has all the necessary proof that these are worthy of wearing the T&T strip. TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner meantime is leaving nothing untouched regarding possible new additions to the T&T team. Currently Attorney Om Lalla is looking into the matter regarding the eligibility of Aston Villa defender Jlloyd Samuel and Bobby Zamora and hopes remain of a possible reopening of the window to allow players like the duo to play for another country, like T&T, despite already representing England at the Under 21 level.
