Although winning his second Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) title in a matter of years, Cavalier FC defender Richard King says he’ll have to earn his place in the Reggae Boyz squad as well as a contract with a European club.

The 22-year-old centre back scored the equaliser in the final of the JPL match against Mount Pleasant Football Academy at the National Stadium last week. That goal proved crucial as it took the team into penalties where they won 4-3, with King also converting from the spot.

Since his debut in 2022, King has made 15 appearances for the national men’s senior team including their recent international friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago.

Regarded as one of the top defenders on the island, many local fans believe he should be part of Heimir Hallgrimsson’s team for the long run but King says a call-up isn’t a given.

“Everyone has to work for their spot, including me,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “I just have to just keep on working, I can’t slack off at any point. No spot is there guaranteed for anyone, we all have to work, so I will.”

In April 2023, King had a brief stint with Iceland top-flight club IBV but after the club’s relegation, he rejoined Cavalier in January.

He also had a trial in the United Kingdom, along with teammate Shaniel Thomas, in January but was unable to secure a contract.

But King is hoping that his experiences will help to attract overseas suitors.

“As time goes by, everything is a learning process,” he said. “Each and every time and game you play, whether club or international, is just a learning experience so just have to learn each time, work even harder and come back stronger.”

King, though, was delighted to prove critics wrong with the title hold this year after their victory in 2021 over Waterhouse FC was mocked in some corners due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s never easy to be honest,” he said. “It was hard work and dedication, sacrifice each day. We’ve been playing for 10 months, I played five months with the guys so we really deserve this one.

“We were extremely motivated as you saw in the performance. We played together, talked right through, communicated well and the lads really wanted and needed it. [The comments] gave us an extreme push because they were talking like [in 2021] we weren’t affected by COVID — all the teams were affected by COVID. They were saying it was a ‘COVID cup’, but let’s see what they say about this one.”