Approximately one year ago, John Manradge was at the Kingston premiere of Bob Marley: One Love, the hit movie based on the reggae legend’s life. As celebrities walked the red carpet at the Carib Cinema, he showed off his deft football skills.

Like the reggae king, who died in May 1981, Manradge was born on February 6 and has a passion for football. The St Thomas native’s freestyle juggling is expected to be part of Hope Road, an interactive event scheduled for June at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.

Manradge, 22, told Observer Online that he has seen Bob Marley: One Love once. Its opening scenes give a glimpse into the singer-songwriter’s passion for football which he played every chance he got.

John Manradge

“You can tell that Bob Marley loved football from the movie and his clippings. Football is my passion and also music; music is a way of life, as it gives you all kinds of different feelings,” he said.

Manradge played daCosta Cup football for several seasons as a defender for Happy Grove High School but has focused on his freestyle juggling career since late 2023. He credits a strenuous training regimen for developing a series of routines that has caught the attention of organisations like Football For The World Foundation, an American non-profit that has done charity work in Jamaica for the past 10 years.

Last year, he participated in the FFTW’s islandwide initiative. Manradge not only exhibited his juggling moves, but helped distribute football gear to youngsters in tough communities.

Hope Road is one of many events being staged in 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of Marley’s birth. It comprises six rooms of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and delves into different aspects of the Marley legend.

Manradge, who lists Buffalo Soldier and Jamming among his favourite Marley songs, is eager to show fans in Las Vegas his choreographed ball skills and the extent of Marley’s love for the ‘beautiful game’.

– Howard Campbell