AS is quite evident, Donovan Duckie is still a young man. But at the moment he’s developing quite the reputation of a much-travelled coach. Maybe it’s a glowing compliment to his talent that in just nine short years at the top he’s already coached six National Premier League teams and three schoolboy outfits. Then again, maybe it’s a critical view on his inability to keep a job.

Whatever the reason, the man, known for his Afro or Mohawk hairstyles and a somewhat self-satisfied personality, is certainly becoming the coach. Star Cosmos, St Georges SC, Portmore United, Sporting Central Academy, Waterhouse, Montego Bay United, St Mary Technical, Clarendon College, plus the Jamaica Under-20s, are the teams that complete Duckie’s CV. Now, you can add Manchester High to that list.

The St Mary native, who gave up “a promising” playing career with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to concentrate on coaching, was appointed early in the summer. He replaced Sheldon Davis, who resigned at the end of last season’s daCosta Cup competition — an action that Duckie knows quite well, given that he has walked out on the majority of the teams he has coached, the most memorable being the last episode at Montego Bay United.

In January, Duckie stunned the local football fraternity by announcing his resignation from MBU, with the St James outfit, formerly Seba United, sitting second in the Red Stripe Premier League, which they eventually won in May. Almost one year later, he has finally said why he left the club. But, at this moment, it’s his decision to join Manchester High, and his overall plan for this hugely ambitious project, that consume him.

“It’s a career move,” said Duckie of his decision to take the Manchester job. “Sometimes you have to make decisions based on what you want to achieve in the sport. You want to leave a legacy and you spend time with the youths and help them to develop. The structure at Manchester High is geared towards that.

“They definitely want to win titles because they’ve been putting a lot into this project. But, first, what we want to do is set a solid foundation for the school, so there’s an academy that we are trying to put in place. There’s a particular place that we’ve identified — it’s almost completed now — that will house about 80 players. We are also looking forward to have other students from all over Jamaica who show academic and athletic promise in the programme.

“We want to structure the academy in three stages: the Manchester Academy (from grades seven to eight), the Manchester Semi-Pro (from grades nine to 10) and then the Manchester Elite from grades 11 to 13. At the end of the day, we want to integrate the three programmes to ensure that we have continuity. When you see the daCosta Cup team, the elites, you should also see three or four players from the semi-pro and the academy.

“We are also thinking about the marketability of these players,” he added. “You could get them registered in the academy and have contracts signed from parents, which will allow us to cultivate a crop of youth who can go overseas and get into other academies, colleges or even sign a professional contract. We have a long-term vision.”

So what is the short-term vision?

“Short-term/long-term,” responded Duckie, “the aim is to win titles, have good teams that can consistently play at the top level and produce student/athletes who can move on to greater things after leaving Manchester High, whether that is a scholarship or a pro contract.”

As impressive as this vision may be, there are many, some of them his colleagues, who will read this well thought out monologue from Duckie and fail to see its authenticity. They look at him and see a younger version of Geoffrey Maxwell — the firebrand coach who has managed more teams than any of his contemporaries in the Jamaican game; the man who is never afraid to speak his mind.

Like they would say of Maxwell, the critics are already questioning Duckie’s resolve to see out his reported “three-year deal” at Manchester High. They say he’ll walk with the slightest hint of interference from management. Or when a better job comes his way.

“I am very thankful for the critics,” said Duckie. “They are the ones who helped me to make good decisions like this one. And, it is true, I do move around a lot. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, nothing is wrong with being a travelled coach. That shows that you are marketable; you are in demand. And the question that they should also ask is: why are coaches like myself and Geoffrey moving around so often?” His answer goes straight to the heart of what some of his fellow coaches believe is the main problem stunting the growth of football in Jamaica.

He said: “Over the years I’ve had my share of issues with managements and I’m tired of it now. In the Premier League, there’s too much of a ‘One Don’ situation. Too many individuals own these clubs.

“If you can recall when the JFF announced the idea for a franchise system, there was a lot of resistance because now they will have to partner with stakeholders, and they don’t want that. They want to be in sole control. They want to dictate. In respect to my previous job at Montego Bay United, that was the reason why I resigned — because of the tug-of-war between me and Mr Orville Powell — and that is what I’m running from.

“Of course,” he added, “anywhere you go there’ll always be challenges, but this ‘One Don’ situation is not good for our football. When I have a problem, I want to sit down with a board of intelligent people and reason about the direction of the team. That is what I have at Manchester High. They have a clear vision of where they want to go and how they are going to achieve it.”

This comparison also draws into focus a debate that has been brewing in local football circles.

Over the summer, Duckie joined a growing list of tacticians who have either stayed away from National Premier League, or left it, to work at the youth level when he took charge of daCosta Cup aspirants Manchester High.

The list also included former Harbour View coach Donovan Hayles, now at Hydel High, and Lenworth Hyde Snr, who was recently sacked by Kingston College after only five months in charge of the Manning Cup side. Prior to his short spell at KC, Hyde had a hugely successful stint in the top flight, which yielded three league titles while managing Hazard United, Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, before joining Clarendon duo Humble Lion and Sporting Central Academy.

Duckie has said that, like himself, his more accomplished colleagues are now looking towards schoolboy football for employment because of stability, not necessarily money.

“As coaches, we do talk,” reasoned Duckie, “and I can tell you that it’s not a financial move. Yes, financial security is good. But there is a point in life when you have to look at your career and make a decision to leave a mark somewhere. At the moment, based on how things are done, it’s difficult to do that in the Premier League.

“If you look at where football on the international stage is going, they are placing a big emphasis on youth. In that regard, the majority of the clubs in Jamaica are stagnant. They just want to hold on to these old players, who are already set in their ways, for eternity. But as soon as you move to the franchise system you are going to see a lot of youngsters coming in.”

Asked if he will ever return to the top flight, Duckie said: “I’m not saying I’ll never go back to the Premier League, but there’ll have to be a better structure. In fact, I can’t wait to go back to the Premier League. I’m built for the Premier League. But for now, I’m staying at Manchester High. Manchester High is a good brand to be associated with, they have an impressive framework. The directors, the principal, the staff and the students have been very good to me, so I just want to stay here, work together and achieve all that we can achieve.”