NEGRIL, Westmoreland — OVERALL, Anthony Campbell is described as a friendly, jovial and easy-going person. But on the field, he is a quiet storm, prepared to trounce any opponent who gets in his way of scoring a goal.

It is this same focused and indomitable attitude that contributed to his team’s victory in the recent Westmoreland Football Association’s Captain’s Bakery and Grill Major League finals.

Known to most as ‘Jucks’, Campbell, the captain of the Beaches Negril Football team, is the quiet, reserved type, who, despite his unassuming appearance, knows what he wants and is not afraid to go after it. His team’s recent win is a testimony to this, but he is not one to take all the credit.

“Having taken home the Westmoreland Major League title for Beaches Negril makes me feel really great and even happier to be a part of the talented team that worked together to make it happen,” he said, pointing out that teamwork was the name of the game. “We rose to the top because of our hard work, consistent training, listening to the coach’s instructions and playing for each other on the field.”

In addition to copping the Major League trophy, Beaches also won the two end-of-round finals, during the recently concluded competition.

Now that his team has snagged the Major League trophy, Campbell emphasised that it will not be business as usual for them.

“Since we’ve been promoted to the Super League, we have to resume training in preparation for that and work even harder, if we want to be among the best at that level,” he said.

Despite his recent successes, which also included helping Beaches to qualify for next season’s Western Confederation Super League, Campbell admits that he has not always known what it feels like to win.

He recalls tasting defeat several times, including his first major football match — a moment he wishes he could witness from the sidelines.

“If I had the chance, I would want to re-live my first daCosta Cup finals in 2006 in which I played for my school, Frome Technical High, against Glenmuir High. Glenmuir won on penalties. So, I would want to see where my team went wrong and possibly apply something from that learning experience to my matches today,” he said in retrospection.

Campbell is a die-hard Manchester United fan and hopes to visit England one day to watch his favourite team play.

Given that he seems to eat, sleep and dream football, it may come as a surprise that when asked what he wants to master in life, he veers into an unrelated field and responds, “building aeroplanes”.

Aside from football, however, Campbell also enjoys playing pool and cricket as well as exploring various genres of music.

Not only does Campbell excel on the field, but also in his profession.

After just eight months into his first job as a cocktail server at Beaches Negril, he was promoted to bartender and was later assigned team leader for the bar department, a position which he held for a year.

His efforts at self-improvement were also recognised when he was awarded Most Improved Team Member of the Month in 2012.

“He has shown himself to be a leader from day one,” noted Keith Chang, bar manager at Beaches Negril. “He is a very responsible person, who has the potential to excel.”

The 24-year-old father of a son, whose ultimate career goal is to become a Food and Beverage Manager, is constantly upgrading his skills and is currently training to become a butler, while completing a Food and Beverage Management course with The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) through the Sandals Corporate University.

Manager for the Beaches Negril football team, Wilbert Harding, notes that with the admirable qualities Campbell possesses, he is destined for greatness.

“He’s focused, disciplined and determined, and not only does he have phenomenal technical football skills, but he also has excellent leadership abilities,” shared Harding.

Having led his team to victory in the Major League, Campbell has learnt a few things along the way, which he encourages others pursuing a particular goal to ensure they do — “stick to the three Ds: discipline, determination and dedication — that’s my main advice to anyone who wants to achieve a goal”.