Former high school football star Andre “LA” Lewis is back in Jamaica and playing football.

The 24-year-old has rejoined his boyhood club Portmore United and got off to a flying start when he scored the second goal in his team’s 2-0 win over Humble Lion FC at Effortville on Sunday.

Playing behind the strikers in his first senior game for Portmore, Lewis, who is clearly still not at his best, was still effective in his play as he helped his team dominate the game in the first half.

His performance would prove to be enough as Portmore wrapped up the game in the first half. Lewis displayed great calm in putting away his only chance of the game when he slotted home from inside the box, beyond a hapless Jeadine White, who was also making his debut for Humble Lion.

The former Portland Timbers player was delighted to get on the score sheet in his first game back on local soil.

“It’s an exciting feeling… (as) Portmore is my club, my youth team, so I could not be any more excited to be back home and playing for my team.

“To score on my debut I could not be any more happy. Thanks to God up above, thanks to my teammates, I couldn’t score without them, so I am happy,” noted Lewis.

The familiarity with the players has made getting back in the groove easy for the midfielder.

“Most of these guys I have played with them before, there are one or two new players, but I am happy… I am happy to be home again,” he reiterated.

He gave what seemed an honest assessment of his own performance, plus he also outlined what he has to do to keep getting better.

“I would say I did an okay job today, I am working on my fitness just the same… but I think I did a pretty good job today,” he said.

Lewis did state without hesitation that his main objective over the next few months is to help Portmore United repeat as RSPL champions.

“I always want to be on a winning team and Portmore United is a winning team, so to be back and to help the team win, that’s an honour and I am happy to be here. (There is) no other place to be but Portmore United,” he beamed.

Meanwhile, Lewis’s teammate Ryan Wellington was delighted to register his first goal of the season.

The big centre half rose highest to thump home a header from a corner kick with just four minutes on the clock, and laid the foundation for the win.

“It is a wonderful feeling. The team comaraderie was a good one and it was like I felt this one before it even happened, so scoring my first goal for the season was a good one and it also set a good platform for the team early on,” he rejoiced.

Portmore United were playing their first game without influential midfielder Chavany Willis, who has gone on loan to Bethlehem Steel in the USA.

“(Willis) will be a great miss, but certainly, as you know, Portmore United over the years is always a team with a lot of technical players, so it is always no problem to replace another good player. I think that it’s like the norm for a player to go and somebody (to) just fill in, in the right way and we play like a team just the same, so it was really no problem,” Wellington explained.

He believes that the relationship between the players off the pitch is the reason they have been able to do so well all season.

“I think the camaraderie that we try to keep with each other, we try to live a brotherhood kind of life at Portmore United, we try to instil discipline at all times and I think that is the main thing that is keeping us together.”

Portmore registered their 13th win of the season on Sunday to return to the summit of the league after being unseated by Cavalier FC a week ago. They are now on 47 points, two more than second-place Waterhouse but will face third-placed Cavalier in a mouth-watering clash at the Spanish Town Prison Oval next Sunday.