Charlton training stint puts Mt Pleasant’s Campbell on another level
AFTER HIS return from a training stint with English football League One club Charlton Athletic, Mount Pleasant’s Devonte Campbell is now aware of what he needs to do succeed as a professional.
Campbell spent two weeks with the English club as part of a partnership agreement between Mount Pleasant and Charlton Athletic. The partnership is aimed at improving the club’s academies and aiding the development of Caribbean football talents.
Campbell said his time in England provided an invaluable experience and allowed him a glimpse of football in Europe, which he described as being a lot more detailed than football in Jamaica.
“Over there, everything is a lot more tactical and it’s a lot more detailed, you know. You have to know which foot you’re passing the ball to, you have to recognise the space you’re passing into; it’s just being aware of the simple stuff where we might lapse in concentration, so it’s just those things.”
“It’s just about the hard work and having the mentality because I know that I have the ability to play at the level, so it’s just about going back to the training ground and working on the things that I am short on.”
Campbell’s return to Jamaica has brought renewed energy to Mount Pleasant and the youngster took very little time to get back to his creative best.
COMEBACK
The winger got on the scoresheet and won the decisive penalty for the defending champions to help pull off a comeback win against Harbour View on Monday.
He would admit, however, that he had been nursing a slight injury which saw the player unable to play the entire game.
“Well, I would give my performance like an eight out of 10 because I always feel like I can do more. Every day I try to push myself, try to do better and help the team in any way possible that I can.”
“Before the game I was feeling a little knee pain but it wasn’t really that bad and I could play on it, so I came out and I gave what I had. I got a goal and I won the penalty, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish the rest of the game but I’m glad that I was able to help the team.”
Mount Pleasant head coach Theodore Whitmore praised Campbell’s performance and explained that the player will have an important role in the team’s title aspirations. According to Whitmore, Campbell will only continue to get better the more time he gets on the field.
“It is important when we can get our players on the scoresheet, especially a young Devonte Campbell,” he said.
“It will only take time as you know, he was exposed to a different environment so when he came back, he understood what he needed to do. For the most part, you can see a different Devonte Campbell out there playing for us.”