‘Whisper is not a flash in the pan’

With the confirmation of Reggae Boy Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards as an official player for Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League, Craig Butler, founder of the Phoenix Academy, says the player’s success is a result of years of hard work.

While for most, the name Dujuan Richards had seemingly skyrocketed to the headlines in the last few years, Butler says the youngster had always been on this path to success from an early age.

“We have been taking Whisper to Europe since he was 12 years old. So today, he has played overseas at least 10 times already. The point of it is that the work has been put in, with him in Europe a long time ago, so Whisper is not a flash in the pan. You don’t just wake up and the player is so great, you have to develop the player.”

But Richards’ growth has not only been on the field as a player, but also off the field with his development as an individual.

Butler explained that during his time at the Phoenix Academy, Richards was also taught the importance of his responsibilities as an individual, and is confident that he is ready to make that next step in his career.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

“It is about packaging the player properly, ensuring that the player gets the right exposure, developing the player mentally and making sure that he is ready for it. We’ve prepared him for public speaking and image projection, so he knows his responsibilities as an ambassador and delivering,” Butler said. “Whisper knows what he has to do and he always delivers.”

The 18-year-old forward, who has made seven appearances for the Jamaican national team and became the youngest Jamaican goalscorer in Gold Cup history, is currently training with Chelsea’s first team and is available for selection with their senior team under the eye of Argentine coach, Mauricio Pochettino.

Butler is confident that Richards is more than ready for that opportunity.

“He’s a Chelsea player now so it is up to him to earn his spot. He is not a normal player, he is a generational player. He’s massive and still growing, he’s very dexterous and very, very balanced with a lot of speed and a lot of skill. In football, you can’t just tell a coach who should play. He has given Pochettino his respect as a coach and if it should happen, it will happen.”

Butler says Richards and Leon Bailey are shining examples of the work being done by the Phoenix Academy, and he is confident there will be several more players who will soon follow in their footsteps by breaking into Europe’s top divisions.

“Indeed, it is a great pleasure to know that Leon is close to the top of the English Premier League in terms of goal contributions and Whisper is now at the entrance of the Premier League by going into the Chelsea first team. They have gotten a lot respect from that, and they will provide more opportunities for young Jamaican players,” Butler added.