Jervel Tobierre and Nyrone Winter have been part of the Saint Lucia national youth football team for close to four years, having played together since the under-15 ranks. Now aged 17, the two are among 12 players selected from among 42 of their peers from 14 territories across the Caribbean and Central America to be part of the Digicel Kickstart Academy's Manchester City experience.
Jervel, a defender from Desruiseaux, and Nyrone, an attacker from La Ressource, Vieux Fort, have made the trip to Manchester for the once-in-a-lifetime experience at Manchester City's elite training and youth development facility, the City Football Academy. They were chosen at the conclusion of the Kickstart Academy in Jamaica last June.
Digicel Group Marketing Director, Peter Lloyd, said; "Through the Digicel Kickstart programme, we are giving aspiring young players across the Caribbean an opportunity to improve their game and to achieve their goals – both on and off the field. The boys have been nothing short of stellar at the Digicel Kickstart Academy."
Both of the Saint Lucian boys expressed excitement ahead of their departure for Manchester. Jervel, an alumnus of St Mary's College and a current student at Sire Arthur Lewis Community College, said he and Nyrone were well prepared, and were looking forward to measuring themselves against some of the best youngsters in England.
"We are very excited, and ready for the challenge," he said. "We are ready to see how we stack up against what's supposed to be the elite of England, because it's an elite club, they were in the semifinals of Champions League last year, so we want to see what they produce at the youth level compared to what we are used to.
"Even before going to Jamaica, it was kind of a mindset that we were going against the big boys of the Caribbean, like Trinidad, Jamaica, Haiti, so it was kind of a predetermined emotion that we expect them to be so much better than us. But after the first day of training, I saw the level, that was my level and I did not have anything to fear.
"I was very comfortable on the ball, I wanted the ball, I wanted to play, I wasn't nervous at all. They come from more developed countries, and have better systems. Some of them are in academies and go around the world playing football. But that does not mean anything. Football is a universal language, everyone plays the same football."
Nyrone, meanwhile, trained recently with two English teams, Preston North End and Tranmere Rovers. He felt that that experience helped prepare him for the Manchester City trip: "I know what to expect," he opined. "The intensity is much higher than football in Saint Lucia; it's more serious. The pitch is different, our pitches are harder and uneven.
"But it's just fun, because everybody makes you feel at home, nothing to be nervous about, you just try your best. It was a good experience, my first time being to England, it was enjoyable, I had a lot of fun, I made new friends, especially at Tranmere. I got comfortable with mostly all the guys, they shared jokes with me, they made me feel at home, like I was a first team player."
Jervel and Nyrone were allowed to train with the national Under-20 team, even though the coaches knew they would not be able to play the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) finals in Curaçao, which clashed with the trip to Manchester. But the boys are hoping their teammates will give them a chance to rejoin the squad.
Said Jervel: "I really wanted more caps for my country, and I would really appreciate that. But sometimes you are just not in control of things, so you just have to accept it and wish for the best for them, so we can get the opportunity to go to the [CONCACAF] finals in Costa Rica next February."
With a number of their national teammates pursuing different development paths, Nyrone says he is hoping to play in England, whatever the level. Says the former Vieux Fort Comprehensive star: "As long as I am playing somewhere in England, playing football, making money, having fun and just doing what I love, I'm satisfied."
Jervel, on the other hand, wants to go to school in the USA, once he is done at the Division of Arts, Science, and General Studies. Although he says he wants to centre his life on football, he also wants to ensure he has his academics in order and he is aiming for a degree within the next five years.
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