RYAN Thompson, the former Reggae Boyz goalkeeper who was a standout at the 2015 Concacaf Gold Cup, says Jamaica is blessed with plenty of talented shot blockers, most of whom require technical guidance and mentorship.

Thompson, assistant coach and the goalkeeper director at Texas-based Austin Bold FC in the second-tier United Soccer League (USL), has trained promising Jamaican keepers before and is itching to play a more sustained role.

“I want to come back, [and] I want to help because I know there are a lot of goalkeepers there,” the 35-year-old told the Jamaica Observer during a recent telephone interview.

“All they need is someone who’s gonna guide them and teach them the proper techniques, as well as the mental side of the game. Athletically, we’re blessed, but they just need somebody to teach them the true role of a goalkeeper — it’s not just blocking the ball.

“I’ve been to Jamaica where I kept a clinic, and [The University of the West Indies FC goalkeeper, Coach] Simon Bennett came to help me out there. We had goalkeepers showing up; that’s something I want to do more,” Thompson, who resides in the United States, continued.

Aside from coaching duties at Austin Bold, Thompson operates his RTG Academy in Texas where he guides young, aspiring goalkeepers.

Thompson, a husband and father to two daughters, told the Observer that at the academy he tries to engage youngsters with a multifaceted approach.

“Some kids who are part of clubs don’t get enough attention, they don’t get enough specific training, and they come to me to develop their ability. My programme goes beyond goalkeeping; it’s a mentorship-based academy. We’re not just working on the physical, we are working on mastering techniques and on them being a complete person,” he explained.

And he has plenty of personal experience to call upon, having excelled for Jamaica and at high levels of club football in Europe.

The former Camperdown High and Ardenne High schoolboy goalie is best remembered by local football fans for a string of crucial saves and interventions in Jamaica’s historic second-place finish at the 2015 Gold Cup.

Thompson was substitute for the injured Dwayne Miller in the last group-stage encounter versus El Salvador. The Jamaicans won 1-0 to comfortably top their group, and Thompson was rewarded with the honour of standing between the sticks for the rest of the tournament.

In the quarter-finals the Reggae Boyz pipped Caribbean rivals Haiti 1-0 before shocking hosts United States 2-1 in the semis. They put on a gallant show in their first-ever Gold Cup final but lost 1-3 to heavy favourites Mexico.

Thompson played professionally in the US and in Sweden, but the highlight of his club career came when representing little-known Irish outfit, Shamrock Rovers FC.

In the 2011-12 season, Thompson was a key member of the Shamrock Rovers team which competed in the qualifying phase of the prestigious UEFA Champions League, a first in the club’s history.

Shamrock were knocked out by FC Copenhagen and entered into the qualifiers for the second-tier Europa League. They then went on to defeat Partizan Belgrade to progress to the group stages, a novel achievement for a team from Ireland.

“These are some of the memories that I take. Now I’m going to help other people, and it’s what I have been doing…coming back to Jamaica, connecting kids in Jamaica to colleges in America. And quite a few of those players have done great things in college and [have] even gone on to the pros. It’s my way of giving back; it’s time to give back right now,” he emphasised.