Right call
MoBay’s Thomas believes move to Second City a good choice
Published:Monday | November 25, 2024 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
AFTER WINNING almost everything possible at the local level, including schoolboy and senior men’s football, former Cavalier ace Shaniel Thomas decided he wanted a new challenge after helping them win a second Jamaica Premier League (JPL) title in three seasons last term.
The former Jamaica College forward’s contract with Cavalier came to an end last season, and although many questioned his decision to move to the Second City to Montego Bay United, the player is confident he made the right move.
“My contract was going to be up, and I just felt like I wanted a new challenge. From under-15 and high school I have been creating waves and winning trophies. So I felt like I’ve done it all in Kingston and just wanted to conquer the next city.
“And so far, everything has been going good with the team. We are now at the top of the table. We have been scoring goals and playing well, and I am in the running for the Golden Boot. So far, it seems as if I have made the right choice.
The good start is just that for Thomas, though, and he has his eyes on taking even more advantage of his good form.
“I just want to build on this. I am happy with how I am playing and enjoying my performances. So I know I made the right choice as it is showing in the performances,” he said.
Last year, Thomas finished the topscorer in the Caribbean Cup as Cavalier went all the way to the final before falling to Robinhood of Suriname.
However, his performances in the JPL did not match his expectations, and this season, his aim is to maintain a consistent level over the course of the season.
“The performance has been steady. I just want to be consistent with my scoring. I am playing good every match, but when I start scoring consistently, I can say I am having an excellent season. But for now, I still have a lot of things to work on. So until I start doing that, I will just have this as a satisfactory performance so far,” noted the forward who has four goals this term.
However, unlike most other strikers who set a goal target for the season, Thomas revealed that he is not the type to do that, believing that the goals will come once he is enjoying the game.
“I can’t do like that. I have to just enjoy my game, and the goals will come. From I was little, I never really set targets. But once I am on my game I know that I’m going to score. So once I am enjoying my game and I want to score, I will score,” he stated.
He disclosed that the fans of MoBay had already accepted him as one of their own, a standing ovation after a two-goal performance at Catherine Hall earlier in the round the best example of that.
He pointed out that the players are also eager to return the JPL title to the Second City, and the camp is optimistic about those chances.
He added also that he enjoys working with Argentine coach Rodolfo Zapata, who he said is helping him polish his game.
“It is my first time working with an international coach, and you can see the results are showing. We are winning. So he has been doing good so far, and you can always talk to him and voice your opinion, and he will listen and explain why he did or did not do something.”