J’can teen ‘baller signs with French giant Lille
ANOTHER young Jamaican from Phoenix Academy, Romario McKnight, has signed a three-year contract with top French side Lille after impressing in a two-week trial.
McKnight, 16, a former Calabar High School midfielder, is a part of Austrian outfit Anif and is the second player from the Craig Butler-led Phoenix Academy to sign with a top European club.
About two weeks ago, 16-year-old Kevaughn, Atkinson also from Calabar, signed for German giant Bayern Munich in a five-year deal.
The details of the contract are still being worked on, said Butler, and the youngster should be joining the French outfit in January.
When contacted via Skype, McKnight was very elated.
“I played a couple of games and I think they liked my stamina and my skill level,” McKnight told the Observer.
“It’s a dream come true for me and I am just working to set the stage for other Jamaicans. They just have to stay focused and remember that you have to make a lot of sacrifices,” was his advice for other young aspiring Jamaican footballers eyeing the professional ranks.
As for the language, McKnight has no problem, saying “I speak French fairly well” as he spent time in the French-speaking side of Canada.
Lille are the current French champions and this season signed former Chelsea and Liverpool player, Joe Cole.
Lille are currently third in the standings on 25 points behind leaders Paris St Germain and Montpellier on 30 each.
They are playing alongside Italian giant Inter Milan and CSK Moscow in the lucrative UEFA Champions League.
Meanwhile, Butler said his motivation to help young footballers be the best they can be comes out of the the lack of opportunities that stifled the promising career of one of his favourite schoolboy footballers and Jamaica College teammate, Richard ‘Pot Cover’ McDonald.
“That has being an inspiration for me… he didn’t get the chance (and) to me he could have been the answer to Jamaica’s goalscoring problems in the ’80s. He was strong, skilful, intelligent and just didn’t get the opportunity,” said Butler.
“Every time I see a young kid, I remember ‘Cover’ and just want to give them the opportunity,” said Butler.
