SINCE making United Soccer League’s Championship outfit Rio Grande Valley Football Club his new home, Deshane Beckford says he has become more focused on the game and is hoping things will continue to progress steadily in his budding career.

Beckford joined the Toros’ roster on loan from Red Stripe Premier League club Montego Bay United late last year and has since made a name for himself with some tidy performances in the Texas-based team.

Despite scoring only once in nine appearances so far, the Jamaican midfielder who missed out on any real playing time with the Toros last season believes things have been looking up of late, and as such is excited about the prospects to come whenever action resumes.

The 2020 USL Championship season, which kicked off on March 6, was later suspended due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Beckford was a 58th-minute substitute for the five-year-old club in a 1-5 loss to LA Galaxy II in their season opener at H.E.B Park.

“My transition to Toros was a smooth one; it took me to another level of professionalism and advanced my mindset as a football player. Life in Texas has been easy-going and there are not many distractions, so I have more time to focus on football,” Beckford told the Jamaica Observer from Edinburgh yesterday.

“I came at the ending of last season and I’m here for the entire 2020 season — which is good for me — and, like I said, things have been good so far because my team really enjoys Jamaican culture and music. So I feel at home and I have grown a lot and I am just trying to keep working hard every day,” he added.

Given his no-nonsense attitude both on and off the field, Beckford refuses to let the uncertainty around the league’s resumption be an excuse for not getting work done, and has been using the break from competitive action to do some personal development.

“The coronavirus situation was unexpected but I am using the time to better myself as a player. I have been doing personal training everyday because my aim is to stay in good shape and maintain a high level of fitness during lockdown so that I will be ready and raring to go when things get back to normal,” he noted.

Beckford, 22, is a dynamic, lightweight, technical attacking midfielder who possesses a stubborn determination, and so it comes as no surprise that he wants to soar higher in his career for both club and country.

The former Rusea’s High School stalwart who has so far represented Jamaica at the Under-17 and Under-23 levels, said he would welcome the opportunity to ply his trade for the Theodore Whitmore-coached senior Reggae Boyz team, if called upon to do so.

During his Pan American Games outing with the Under-23 Reggae Boyz in Lima, Peru, last year, Beckford got on the scoresheet three times but was unable to repeat the feat in a 9-0 hammering against Japan with an Under-22 team at year end.

Still, Beckford maintains that the experience has aided his growth and development as he continues to hone his craft.

“Every experience on the field shapes you as a football player, whether your team wins or loses; you always feel like there is room for improvement, both individually and as a team.

“So for me personally, I am continuously aiming to work extremely hard to ensure that I perform at a top level and produce the goods if and when I am called upon. So my goal is to have a great season for Toros and most of all, help the team to qualify for play-offs and then see where things go from there,” Beckford reasoned.

That said, the fleet-footed player of a shy nature shared his views on the Reggae Boyz’ chances of qualifying for the 2022 Fifa World Cup Finals in Qatar.

“The process is going good so far and they know what is at stake, so they have to just continue to trust the process and continue to grow as a team. Once they do that and get all the necessary support, then their chances will be as good as any other team,” Beckford ended.