National player Cardel Benbow, along with Ricardo Campbell, Ricardo Dennis, Dwayne Campbell, have joined the growing list of top local players who have switched to the promoted Mount Pleasant Football Academy in time for the upcoming Red Stripe Premier League.

Mount Pleasant, via their Facebook account, also displayed Kemar Beckford and Romario Campbell as new signings, welcoming them to the club.

Benbow, with Jamaica’s team on tour of Grenada and Barbados, and Beckford, were instrumental in propelling Waterhouse to the final of the Red Stripe Premier League last season.

Humble Lion have also been hit by the wave of movement, losing the hard-tackling defender Ricardo Campbell, Ricardo Dennis and Dwayne Campbell.

They join national captain Ladale Ritchie and Ronaldo Rodney from Montego Bay United and goalkeeper Kadeem Davis from Waterhouse.

Now with the pre-season on in earnest, the nation’s top footballers are heading to the “garden parish” in hope of cashing in and are currently training at Mount Pleasant with hopes of securing transfers before the window closes on August 31.

Previously, David Galloway, manager of the Mount Pleasant Football Academy, told the Jamaica Observer that over approximately 40 players turn up each day for training.

The St Ann-based Mount Pleasant, owned by Peter Gould, was formed in 2016 and took just two years to complete what is regarded as a meteoric rise to the Red Stripe Premier league, country top club football competition.

Formed in 2016, Mount Pleasant football club, formerly known as “Stush in the Bush”, is nestled in the hills of St Ann, less than five minutes from the Runaway Bay main road. The club has brought back top-flight football to the parish for the first time since Benfica FC participated in the 2010-2011 season.

Currently their Under-13 team has just returned from Mexico where they participated in the CFU ScotiaBank Champions League.

Meanwhile, Tivoli Gardens lost their captain Romaine Breakenridge to champions Portmore United and veteran defender Dicoy Williams has made a return to Arnett Gardens from Portmore United.

Ryan Wellington has made the switch from Harbour View to Portmore United as did Naquani Brown from St Bess FC. Cavalier have brought in Shamar Smith from Allman/Woodford FC and Tyler Dacres from Edgewater FC.

With the fall of Boys’ Town from the premier league, the expected exodus has started and Observer sources say injured national player Jamiel Hardware is to suit up for neighbouring Arnett Gardens, while Xavian Virgo is being courted by Mount Pleasant.

—Howard Walker