A special moment – Stewart
Published:Monday | October 2, 2023 | 12:09 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
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Former Mount Pleasant striker Trivante Stewart has described his Serie A debut on Saturday against Italian giants Inter Milan, with his new club US Salernitana 1919, as a special moment in his career. The player has had to wait his turn after his...
Former Mount Pleasant striker Trivante Stewart has described his Serie A debut on Saturday against Italian giants Inter Milan, with his new club US Salernitana 1919, as a special moment in his career.
The player has had to wait his turn after his historic move straight from the Jamaica Premier League to Italy in August.
He failed to make the match squad for the team’s first five league games, but was included for the midweek squad against Empoli. Stewart, however, remained on the bench for the entire match.
On Saturday, with the team 2-0 down against league leaders Inter Milan, coach Paulo Sousa opted to give the big Jamaican his first taste of Serie A action in the 79th minute.
Inter eventually ran out 4-0 winners, thanks to four goals from Argentine Lautaro Martinez, but the 23-year-old Stewart, in his 11 minutes on the field, looked lively.
Although he didn’t have many touches, he showed a glimpse of his ability when he stole possession on the half-way line and drove to the box, before letting loose a left-footed shot from just outside the area, which did not present any problems for Yann Sommer in the Inter goal.
“It was a special moment in my career to have made my Serie A debut with US Salernitana 1919 yesterday (Saturday),” Stewart posted on his Instagram page. “And though it was a tough loss, we will fight on together,” he added.
Salernitana are currently 18th in the 20-team league with three points after three draws from their seven matches.
Mount Pleasant assistant coach Davion Ferguson said it was a welcome sight seeing the striker on the pitch, and he believes this will motivate him to work even harder for more playing time.
“It was good for him. This will help his adaptation. He feels he belongs at that level and it will motivate him to work harder for even more minutes,” Ferguson told The Gleaner.
He also believes the striker has all the qualities to succeed in the league.
“He is a top, top talent. He works hard and is a very confident guy. To be a top striker in the top leagues, a player must have athleticism, a good work rate, determination to score, good ball striking, able to create separation and technical quality, and Trivante has all these qualities.
“There is still room for improvement, but Trivante is also someone who, in the face of adversity, will work hard to prove others wrong, instead of feeling sorry for himself.
“Seeing him in the Serie A augurs well for Jamaica, our league and Mount Pleasant Football Club,” Ferguson said.