Exciting Portmore United midfielder Lamar Walker has deemed his recent three-week stint on trial in Brazil as “an eye opener”.

The 19-year-old, by all reports, had a successful audition at Brazilian giants Vasco da Gama, and remains a target for the club despite not being able to complete a deal that was on the table for him.

Walker came back without a contract as Vasco da Gama assumed amateur and could have signed him outside the official transfer window, but the deal fell through when it was discovered that Walker had a standing professional contract with Jamaican champions Portmore United.

By this, the Fifa transfer window had closed and the possible move to the legendary Brazilian club, for the time being, was delayed.

“I missed out on the opportunity to sign with Vasco because the window closed, and therefore I have to await the next window.

“My immediate goal is to represent Portmore in the Premier League and continue to improve my talent until the right opportunity comes,” Walker told the Jamaica Observer.

The National Under-23 player, despite the obvious disappointment, has opted instead to focus on the valuable lessons learnt from his time in Rio de Janeiro.

“I learned a lot from my recent experience as it was a great eye-opener. I now better appreciate what professional football is all about, which is having the right mindset and attitude — and this is a very important part,” said the man who led Clarendon College to daCosta Cup glory last season.

“The facilities were excellent and my dream is to be in this kind of environment every day of my professional journey as all aspects are attended to — nutrition, medical and of course the on-field stuff. Every detail is important,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Portmore General Manager Clive Marshall said the club was delighted with the opportunity to get another player into an environment that will aid the growth and development process.

“We’re very pleased with the exposure that Lamar received. It’s not an easy feat for any Jamaican to get a look-in at any club in Brazil, let alone a top club like Vasco da Gama.

“We were elated with the contract offer, but the timing was not good, so we will continue with Lamar’s development domestically until the right moment. So, we will be awaiting a report from Vasco on areas of his game that require more attention. This will give us the opportunity for a more focused programme with him,” Marshall told the Observer.

— Sean Williams