Hislop not worried about future

EXPERIENCED Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Shaka Hislop is mulling his future at the club level since his current English Premier League team Portsmouth is yet to offer the 35-year-old an extended contract, which is set to expire at the end of the season. Hislop was demoted to the substitutes’ bench for last weekend’s English FA Cup clash against Southampton after he was reported to have expressed an interest in joining Southampton, under coach Harry Redknapp.

When asked to confirm his comments, the quiet Hislop stated: “Not really. That wasn’t what I intended in my comments, I feel that my comments  have been misinterpreted. I still haven’t seen what was actually said,” he continued. On January 29, the day before the FA tie, Hislop hinted that he would like to follow Redknapp out of Portsmouth and between the uprights for Southampton. Redknapp controversially switched jobs during this Premier League season. When told of his reported statements, Hislop said: “That’s very far from the truth. I saw Harry at the Southampton match. I did not speak to him before. I never gave it any thought,” he said.

“But I retain a tremendous respect for Redknapp. I’ve worked with him for a number of years —  three years at West Ham and two-and-a-half years at Portsmouth,” Hislop said. “Despite his defection to Southampton, I still regard him as a big, positive influence in my career,” he added. Hislop’s days at Portsmouth seems numbered after the club recently signed Greek ‘keeper Kostas Chalkias and club chairman Milan Mandaric was peeved over the reports, which circulated on the morning of the FA Cup encounter. “I think, as you can probably read from the chairman’s comments, my career at Portsmouth is coming to an end quite soon,” admitted Hislop. “It’s nothing to be worried about. It happens to every footballer at every club. All good things must come to an end and now I have to prepare myself for what challenges lie ahead.”

Hislop, who also qualifies to represent England by birth, noted that he is always keen on wearing the red, white and black colours of TT. “Despite playing in the Premier League for a number of years, football doesn’t get any bigger, any more important, any more rewarding than representing your country,” he said. And he is used to the long hours of travel, to and from England, to represent the team. “It’s something that I get used to, especially in the position that I play in,” said the affable Hislop. “But, at the same time, it’s that pressure that we thrive on.” He is confident that the team would get the better of the United States in Wednesday’s CONCACAF World Cup final round qualification match, which would be staged at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain. “We know that this team can get better, we know that we’ll get better,” he stressed. “But I’m confident that this team is good enough to take three points (from the match).”