Cavalier coach expects pair to figure it out in Iceland
Published:Wednesday | May 3, 2023 | 12:47 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
THE CAVALIER pair of Richard King and Dwayne Atkinson are due to leave the island shortly after the club tied up a one-year loan deal with Iceland club ÍBV, and Cavalier sporting director Rudolph Speid is expecting quick acclimatisation and steady progress for the two young stars.
“The biggest challenge they will have is the cold. They (Iceland) have a similar ranking to Jamaica on the FIFA world ranking, so I assume they are roughly about the same quality as us.
“So they, being some of our best players, I believe they will be good enough. It will take a while for them to get acclimatised, but I think they can hit the ground running, and their improvement will be even greater. So I think they will be okay after a month or so,” he assessed.
Speid pointed out that Atkinson, in particular, is no stranger to playing overseas and that King is a consumate professional with immense quality.
“Atkinson has gone to Sweden twice. He has been to the United States and other places on trial. So he is a globe-trotting player, and he hasn’t backed down anywhere he has gone.
“King has been a revelation after leaving school. He went almost straight into the national team, and you can see the quality he has.
“I don’t think they should have any issues because Cavalier players are taught to keep focused until they get the job done, and they have been a part of that mentality. So I expect them to have the same mentality overseas,” he reasoned.
MAIN FIGURES
The 21-year-old central defender, King, and 20-year-old forward, Atkinson, who has 11 goals and 11 assists this season, are two of Cavalier’s main figures, and Speid admits that they will be missed for the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) playoffs.
“Atkinson is one of the top performers in the Premier League this season. King is one of the best defenders. So we are losing two of our star players.
“We only have five players from the playoff last season. (Ronaldo) Webster, Vino (Barclett), (Kyle) Ming and (Jeovanni) Laing and (Colin) Anderson. All the other starters and first-choice subs are gone. So Cavalier will definitely miss two of our biggest stars, but we are happy for them to go,” he said.
ÍBV, based in Vestmannaeyjar, Iceland, currently plays in the Besta deild karla, the top-tier football league in Iceland.