BUCKNOR, Clarendon — National goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers last Thursday conceded it was a difficult decision to leave Portmore United for another club, but insists it was the best move for his career at this time.

Sawyers, who has over 20 caps for the senior Reggae Boyz, ended a 13-year relationship with Portmore United over two weeks ago, after he fell victim to the club’s thrust to rebuild, and is now looking to a fresh start at new club Humble Lions.

“It was very hard to leave Portmore, but it was a career move and in order to continue playing I had to leave. It’s just a professional move,” he said.

“So far I love the reception. The people welcome me,” Sawyers said. “Mi feel like a Clarendon mi born. Most of the players mi already know throughout the league, so it’s just a small transition,” he added.

Come today, Sawyers — who is best known for his acrobatics between the sticks — will debut against champions Tivoli Gardens for his first game outside the Portmore colours in 13 years. He admits it will be an emotional moment.

“It kinda feel like a mi first Premier League game again… a little anxiety is inna it; is a different team, different tactics from Portmore.

“But, I have been training with them for a while, so it’s not hard to adopt because I’ve been playing football for a while and I have to be professional about it. It’s my job.

“Hopefully I’ll do my best and help lift the team”, said the man who won the Goalkeeper-of-the-Year Award in the local Premier League for eight consecutive years (2000-2008).

Leaving Portmore where he was undoubtedly an icon must have been hard not only for the 33-year-old shot-stopper, but also for his teammates with whom he had become “family”.

He was however quick to point out that he still maintains a good relationship with his former teammates.

“Me and the players dem a family, so we always communicate and everything always good between me and the players them,” he said stressing the word “players”.

Meanwhile, Humble Lions coach Christopher Bender said now that Sawyers — who interestingly never played schoolboy football — is coming of age and will be looking to take up coaching when his career ends, his role at the Clarendon-based club will be two-fold.

He will be providing much needed stability in the goalkeeping department, while playing the role of mentor to the younger goalkeepers at the club.

“Sawyers is an experience goalkeeper (and) he is looking into coaching when his career is ended, so I think that in itself will help these young goalkeepers”, Bender said.

“(His presence) will also help the team, knowing that they now have an experienced goalkeeper with quality.”

This is a role that Sawyers — the only goalkeeper to have won the MVP Award in the National Premier League — is embracing wholeheartedly.

“I played the same role when I was at Portmore; leadership role… passing on the knowledge to the younger players… just different keepers”, he said.

“It’s the same thing like when I just moved into the national programme, Aaron (Lawrence) and the older goalkeepers used to teach me, so it’s just the same way I want to teach the younger goalkeepers,”, he noted.

And while he has been left out of the national team currently preparing for their January 31 assignment against Canada, Sawyers, who stands at 6 feet two inches (1.88m), said his focus at the moment is to help Humble Lions stave off relegation.

“Mi not even a go think (about) the national team because a nuh deh so me deh”, he said.

“If me deh a the national programme, that’s where my focus is, but right now I’m at Humble Lions.”