SOMETIMES you have to take one step back to make many more going forward.

John Lucas Levee is doing that, as he goes about re-establishing a solid foundation to get where he wants to in the world of football.

Aspects of that rebirth manifested in Levee scoring Harbour View Football Club’s first goal, as they went on to rack up a 3-0 triumph over Cavalier Football Club in Red Stripe Premier League Monday Night football at Harbour View Mini Stadium.

Levee scored at the 55th minute, opening up the floodgates for other strikes by Kevon Farquharson (77th) and Tevin Scott (90th).

Overall, the midfielder was very instrumental in Harbour View’s plays, linking passes and shutting down opponents all over the pitch.

His goal was just a reward of sorts, as he had actually sent Norman Williams through on goal with an incisive pass. Williams had efforts saved twice, before the second rebound landed at the feet of Levee in goalmouth.

“I felt good because it was a good play. I had a good touch to play it off to ‘Weedy’ (Williams) and then I kind of got the deserved luck that it bounced right back to me and I slotted it in. It felt good,” said Levee.

At 22, he has experienced much in the game and has represented national age group teams at Under-17, Under-20 and recently with the Under-23s at the Pan American Games in Peru.

He actually started his career at Real Mona Football Club, playing youth level football from Under-13.

At that time, he was attending Campion College, but left in pursuit of a career in football in Europe.

“I played in Spain for almost three years with Valencia and other youth academies in the Valencia area; I played with an academy in Boston; and then I went to Division One college, Maryland, and then I came back here,” Levee shared.

“This is where I started my career; this is where I have all my memories of joy in the sport. Whenever I play here it’s a joy, whether it is with the national team or in the premier league, so right now I see it as a transition for me. I was away and I’m coming here as a transition to try to go back overseas. Wherever I am I just try to play my best and enjoy the game,” he said.

Asked about the differences in approach in Europe, Levee explained: “There’s no real difference; here, there are players who are just as good technically, it’s all about how fast you think overseas. So there are players technically here and players technically there, but overseas they’re trained to think faster and play as simple as possible so that the ball is always moving, whereas here, players tend to try and keep the ball and search too long for a pass, that’s the main difference.”

Levee applied that very same simplistic approach to Harbour View’s game on Monday night, helping to lift his team to a dominant second-half performance.

“I was working hard defensively, covering a lot of ground, trying to find the ball in the pockets behind the midfield line and I thought that whenever I got the ball in there I was playing quick and creating problems for their defenders and their midfielders because I was in behind,” he assessed.

“Just playing short and always keeping the ball moving makes the other team have to do a lot of work off the ball and it makes it easier for us to find space going forward.”

Harbour View’s technical director Gregory Bartley noted the value of Levee’s contribution: “He played very well. He was very calm in midfield and he held the midfield for us.”

Levee, in the meantime, is looking to continue rolling out solid performances to enhance his goal.

“I want to go back to Europe,” he said. “I’m hoping to go to Belgium or wherever the opportunity arises.”

— Audley Boyd