Hue hails Whitmore - 'Coach giving home-based players more opportunities ...'

Former national midfielder Jermaine Hue has high praises for Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore's move to give local-based players more opportunities to represent the country.

Last Friday, a senior men's team, made up of local-based players, beat Grenada 5-1 in their friendly international ahead of the CONCACAF Nations League Cup next month. Harbour View's Peter-Lee Vassell scored twice while Daniel Green, also from the Stars of the East, got the opener. The fourth was an own goal while Cavalier's Chevonne Marsh scored the fifth and final.

Hue, who many persons in the football fraternity believe was not given enough opportunities to represent the country even though he played exceptionally well in the local premier league during his playing days, says it is up to the players now to perform well to keep their places in the squad.

"I think 'Tappa' is doing a good job because they are taking a look at the home-based players. He is giving them an opportunity, and now it is the responsibility of each player to do their best whenever they go on the football field and leave it up to the selectors to select them," Hue said.

"For me personally, whenever I got a chance to play I played to the best of my ability and gave it a 100 per cent every single time. I told myself that I have to put in a performance and then I leave it up to the fans to put pressure on the selectors."

He continued: "If the fans are not talking about you and have your name in the streets, that means you are not doing anything. The job of the players is to prepare themselves well and whenever they get the opportunities they have to perform and leave it up to the fans to put pressure on the selectors, and hopefully they will be selected."

PLAY HIS PART

Hue, who is now eking out a living playing semi-professional football in the United States, has vowed to play his part in developing the game locally through his Jermaine Hue Football Foundation.

The foundation donated $150,000 earlier this month to the football programme of his former school, St Thomas Technical High School.

When asked whether he felt like he should have been given more opportunities to represent the country during his playing days, this is how he responded. "I never really thought about whether I got a raw deal with the national programme during my playing days. But it is something I have heard the fans say very often. That means maybe there is some truth to it. Maybe I should have got more opportunities based on my performances," Hue said.