Hard work pays off for Flemmings
Published:Saturday | August 22, 2020 | 12:23 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Jamaican forward, Junior Flemmings, said his impressive form since the restart of the United Soccer League (USL) championship in the United States is a result of some serious introspection and the extra work he did during the forced break caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Jamaica College forward has been in red-hot form since the league restarted on July 11, scoring eight goals in seven starts. The break in March allowed him to do some personal reflection and he said the commitment he made to improve his game is now being reflected in his current performances..
“I realised I had been missing something and since the pandemic I took a step back and did some introspection to see what I needed to do to improve my game. I worked on them (faults) and I started to work twice as hard and by doing that everything just started to happen naturally. So it’s just hard work,” he said.
Flemmings, who scored in the opening and only game before the season was postponed in March, netted 15 goals to help Phoenix to the Supporters Shield last season, and although he was looking to surpass what he did last season, he had no idea he would have been this good.
“When we (team) got the go ahead to restart training everyone could see that I looked a really different player. In squad games I wasn’t scoring less than two goals. So before the season started they were hoping that I would go into the season with that type of form, and so said so done, I have managed to bring it over,” he continued.
“But I wasn’t thinking that stuff would have happened this quick. It has been way beyond normal performances and when a player has that much confidence, like I have now, anything is possible,” he said.
The 24-year-old is hoping his tremendous form will lead to a big move at the end of the season, but at this stage he has no intention of getting carried away with the USL play-offs pending.
“For sure I always have the aspiration to play at the next level but I just have control over what I can control, which is my performance. There should be something in the next couple of months but that (move) will happen in time. For now I just want to keep focus on what’s ahead of me now, so I have to keep going. I can’t let what I did already allow me to get complacent, so whatever happened yesterday is in the past.
“I don’t want to get sidetracked. I want to focus and try to get the club to their first title. Last year we won the Supporters Shield but this year we are all hoping for the big one and we just have to go into each game and try to get the win and move on,” he said.
He also believes that his impressive display does not guarantee him a call up to Theodore Whitmore’s World Cup squad.
“It’s going to be tough, everyone of the players want to represent their country on the global stage, so it’s not going to be easy. But at the end of the day, the decision lies with the coaching staff and what they think. But the harsh reality is that even though I am playing well, I still don’t have to be in the plans of the coach. It’s what they are thinking and I will just have to respect their decision,” he added.