Hill hired to keep Jabloteh at top

YOUNG footballers of CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh were told “your future is bright.”

This assurance came from the insurance firm’s managing director Lawrence Duprey, as the TT Pro League champions publicly presented their new technical director. He is Englishman Ricky Hill who was introduced to the media in the CLICO Executive Box, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain on Friday. Hill replaces Terry Fenwick who guided Jabloteh to the league title last season, but left to take up a job with Northampton Town in the English Second Division. Fenwick was subsequently fired after only seven weeks at the struggling English Second Division side.

Duprey said he was pleased with the improvements made by Jabloteh, with players getting contracts abroad and the team winning the championship. He stated that the focus must be on the development of the players who are supposed to make a difference in their country. The celebrated businessman told the players it all starts with the community outreach programme throughout  the East/West corridor. Duprey  expressed the hope that one day, Jabloteh could become a feeder club for a team in the United States, and said plans are for the building a stadium in Florida.

Hill said he is aware of the abundance of football talent in the Caribbean and particularly in Trinidad and Tobago. He believes he could help nurture this talent, since he is more of a development coach. The Jamaica-born who played at the Queen’s Park Oval with a British All Black team in 1981 said even then, he noted there was not much difference between the teams. He said he was looking forward to consolidating the technical work laid down by his precedessor Fenwick who recommended him for the Jabloteh job.

Hill, who is on a two-year- contract with Jabloteh, said he was always looking to come to the Caribbean and was in contact with the Jamaica Football Federation to help technical director Carl Brown. He comes to Jabloteh following a two-year stint in the USISL Premier League and the Florida Institute of Technology. And Hill, who will be in charge of both the Jabloteh professional and Under-20 squads, will also provide technical advice to the Under-17, Under-15, Under-13 teams. The 44-year-old Hill who distinguished himself at Luton Town, Leicester City and Le Harve FC in France, graduated to earn three full England caps. He also played for the England youth and Under-21s and is well-qualified, holding both the FA and UEFA coaching badges.