Portmore United Football Club players Ricardo Morris and Lamar Walker have secured arrangements for opportunities overseas.

The defending Red Stripe Premier League champions agreed a loan move for Reggae Boy Morris, while Walker was slated to depart the island yesterday for a two-week training and evaluation opportunity in Brazil.

Morris heads for Vaasan Palloseura (VPS) in Finland for the remainder of the season which ends on November 14, 2019. VPS have the option of signing the player on a permanent deal for the 2020 season.

The 26-year-old Morris recently represented Jamaica at the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup and this is his second overseas stint, having played for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in United Soccer League (USL) in the 2014 season. Morris is one of Portmore United’s inspirational players and scored a sensational left-footed goal in the 2018-2019 Red Stripe Premier League final at National Stadium, that secured back-to-back championship for his club.

Morris was naturally elated with the opportunity to play in Europe.

“Football is my livelihood. This is a dream come through for me as I’ve been working very hard for this move. Europe is a fantastic location for me to market my talent and I’m thankful to Almighty God for blessing me with this opportunity. Words will not be enough to express my gratitude to Portmore United for the preparation I have received over the years. I wish the club well for the upcoming season.”

Eighteen-year-old Walker will join up with Vasco de Gama, one of the biggest clubs in Brazil. He recently represented Jamaica’s Under-23 team at the Olympic qualifiers held in Jamaica and the Pan American Games staged in Peru. His performance in Peru attracted interest from scouts in South America. Walker was a major inspiration for Clarendon College in their dominance in the daCosta Cup last season. He scored 10 goals and had 38 assists in helping Clarendon College to win both the daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield titles last season. He also has two National Premier League titles with Portmore United, following his debut as a 17-year-old in the 2017-2018 season.

Walker was also delighted at the opportunity.

“I love football. It is my passion and has always been what I want to do professionally. I came through the Portmore United youth system where I won U-13, U-15, U-17 and U-20 St Catherine competitions with the club. This has been good for my development. I’m looking forward to the experience in Brazil, which we all know is a football-frenzied country.”

Portmore United’s head coach, former Reggae Boy Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner, was very happy for both Morris and Walker. “This is a significant move for both Ricardo and Lamar. Ricardo trains and plays at fantastic intensity and this has enabled his improvement over the years. Lamar’s maturity has also been evident at a very early age. Both are two very talented players and the club wishes for each continued growth in their professional journey in football.”