Sport

Ja 'baller making waves in Trinidad

By PAUL-ANDRE WALKER, Staff Reporter

Nicholas Addlery (left), in action for Jamaica's under-20 team three years ago. - File

FORMER NATIONAL Under-20 player, Nicholas Addlery, is creating quite a storm in the Trinidad and Tobago Pro League.

Addlery, who plies his trade for Starworld Strikers, has been dazzling players and fans alike in Trinidad and Tobago with his goalscoring feats.

Since arriving in Trinidad and Tobago in late October he has impressed by scoring six goals in his first six matches and his current tally of eight is rated as quite remarkable.

"We rate Nicholas as probably the best striker in the Pro League," said his coach, Ashmead Ali.

Invited on trial

"Nicholas was recommended to me by a number of coaches from the States and so I decided to invite him here on a trial. After the first training session I had already decided to sign him," he added. Addlery had earlier completed a stint in the NCAA division 2 with the California University of Pennsylvania. While in college he majored in Business Administration.

When asked what he thought made Addlery so special, Ali, in an exclusive interview with STAR Sports said: "Nicholas is a unique player, he is aggressive, he reads the game well and he is a good finisher, but there are many players with the talent but they don't use their heads."

Addlery who turned out for Jamaica in the 2001 qualifiers for the World Under-20 Youth Cup in Argentina with players such as Shane Stevens, Shavar Thomas, Chris Nicholas and Alex Thomas, has expressed a keen interest in continuing to wear the Reggae Boyz colours.

"I'm only 22, I can still play for the U-23s and I know I have a long way to go, so I'm not worried but I do deserve a chance just like any professional footballer," he said.

Shown interest

Many overseas clubs, mainly in the United States, have shown some interest in the former Jamaica College Manning Cup striker who played Major League Football for Real Mona after turning out for Cooreville Gardens in the under-16 Minor League competition.

"At present he is only contracted to the club for one season and I would like to offer him a long term contract but at the same time he is a young man and we can't be selfish," said Ali.

Ali told THE STAR that the New Jersey Metros and D.C. United of the United States Major League Soccer have expressed interest in having the young man try out with them. The suitors do not stop there however, as offers have been coming from as far away as Indonesia.