At just 23 years old, Cachet Lue has already hung up her boots and switched her focus to a different area of the sport of football.

The former Reggae Girl played at the Under-17, Under-20 and senior levels for Jamaica before she stopped playing the game in October 2019.

But as the new year rolls in, Lue’s new focus will see her still remaining close to the game.

After choosing to step away from the sport as a player at such an early age, Lue said: “I found other passions for the sport, outside of playing it.”

Lue is currently studying to be a sports psychologist at the University of Minnesota with the intention of staying close to football when she graduates.

“I am in my second year and I am set to graduate in May or June. I’m also applying to get my doctorate.”

She admits to missing the field of play, but there are constant reminders of why it was the correct thing to do.

“Yes, I do [miss playing], but my injuries, strains and pains, remind me how much I’ve made the right choice. I hope to stick around youth and college soccer long-term.

“I don’t believe I had the same passion I did before all my injuries. Fighting your own body to have the best sport experience gets tough,” she admitted.

The security provided by her scholarship cushioned the blow of stepping away from the sport and chasing her dream of being a professional footballer.

“It was somewhat easy because I knew going to Minnesota, I was being offered two years paid to cover school, even though I played soccer for one year. As an international student, it’s great to not have to worry about how you are going to pay to get your degree, so that made it easier, knowing I was going to try and leave in the spring to go pro,” she shared.

Lue, whose father is Jamaican, chose to play for Jamaica, instead of Canada where she was born, from her teenage years and explained why she did so.

“I played in the Canadian system until age 14 and I felt that I wasn’t going to get the opportunity at the U17 level if I stayed. I have no regrets, none at all,” Lue noted.

The central defender has had the pleasure of playing with a number of Jamaica’s World Cup heroes who made history last year when they played in the ifa Women’s World Cup in France.

“I played at each level twice with two different age groups — Bunny Shaw, Deneisha Blackwood, Konya Plummer, Trudi Carter, Marlo Sweatman, and lots more,” Lue said.

She had high praises for her former teammates and believes that qualifying for the next World Cup is critical for the future of women’s football on the island.

“I thought they fought very hard and tried to use their strengths against very good opponents. [Scoring at the World Cup] proves they can do it and they have time to continue building. It is very important for us to qualify for the Next World Cup,” Lue said.

Based on her new career path, she may just end up serving Jamaica yet again, but this time from the sidelines.