After a successful first season in Russia, Jamaican footballer Shamar Nicholson is already identifying areas in which he can improve in the 2022-23 campaign, according to his agent Kevin Cowan.

The 25-year-old Reggae Boyz striker joined Spartak Moscow in the middle of last season after a prolific stint with Charleroi in Belgium, scoring a combined 21 goals for the two clubs.

“During our off-season meeting, Shamar and I spoke together about his accomplishments from the 2021-22 season and also discussed some ideas in preparation for the upcoming season,” Cowan told the Jamaica Observer.

“What fascinated me, though, was how quickly he wanted to move on from discussing last season’s success, and instead wanted only to discuss how he planned on improving all facets of his game, so he can make even bigger strides next season,” he said.

Last season, Nicholson, nicknamed “Bowza”, helped the Spartak outfit to the Russian Cup final against city rivals Dynamo Moscow, and was a second-half substitute as they won the contest 2-1 to lift the title.

The Russian Premier League campaign was a different story. Spartak Moscow, a traditional top team in the country, ended 10th in the table with 38 points. Zenit St Petersburg, with 65 points, won the league title, trailed by PFC Sochi (56) and Dynamo Moscow (53).

Nicholas, standing six feet, four inches tall, is a powerful player, but is usually composed in front of goal – attributes he has used to telling effect both for the national senior team and on the club circuit in Europe.

“He understands fully that because he scored 21 goals last season and won the Russian Cup, the expectations this season will be raised dramatically,” said Cowan.

“Of course, he also knows that many clubs from the top European leagues are monitoring his progress in Russia very closely. For some individuals, these things can be quite intimidating; however, he thrives under these kinds of conditions, so I expect business as usual,” the agent said of the former national Under-20 standout, who represented Trench Town High School and Boys’ Town Football Club locally before striking out abroad.

The 2022-23 league season in Russia started July 15, and in their lone outing so far, Spartak finished 1-1 versus Akhmat Grozny.

— Sanjay Myers