Theobald inspires Republic youths

Theobald, a product of the East Port-of-Spain district spoke last Friday to the youngsters mainly about the work behind his success.

“No matter what negatives you are faced with turn them into positives,” he said.

Theobald related how he was able to use his experiences as a youth growing up in East Port-of-Spain to help him cope with spending his first five months at his new club Falkirk of Scotland without a minute of first-team playing time.

“Keep dreaming because without dreams life is not worth living,” Theobald told the rain-soaked youngsters.

“But you have to put in the hard work,” he urged “because without discipline there is no success.”

Theobald related how he told England captain David Beckham: “I’m going to mark you all day and you’re not going to do anything,” during the TT versus England first round match at the World Cup Finals in Nuremberg, germany on June 15.

For 83 minutes Theobald did just that and the outcome of that match he chalked up to one thing.

“Without preparation there is no way you can go out and be the best you can be,” noting that during the World Cup he was in the best shape of his career.

Theobald revealed that before her death in February of 2001, his mother Janice, told him that TT would never qualify for a World Cup and remarked with a wry smile that it was good to prove her wrong.

“I think it was important for me to come here,” he began his address and it showed on the faces of all the players that his visit made the world of difference as their week-long stay at the camp neared its climax.

The camp came to an end last Saturday.