FOOTBALL coaches Donovan Duckie and Leebert Halliman have hailed late former midfielder Hugh Howell as one of the best leaders in local football.

The 39-year-old reportedly collapsed and died on Sunday after playing a game of scrimmage.

Howell, who retired in 2022, was regarded as a top player in his position during his 17-year professional career with Waterhouse with whom he won the Jamaica Premier League title in the 2005-06 season, and Humble Lions, where he guided them to three consecutive play-off semi-finals.

Duckie coached Howell at both clubs and developed a strong friendship. He says his presence on and off the pitch was exemplary.

“We got very close at Waterhouse; he even introduced me to his family at the time so I’ve always maintained that relationship,” Duckie told the Jamaica Observer. “I can only think of two players that I’ve met in Jamaican football that I’ve gotten close to, and he’s one of them.

“Despite not being captain [of Humble Lions] he was the leader of the team. He was the one that pushed [us] to top the league table, he was the driving force behind the team. He was the mascot in the dressing room, he was the most serious one in training, and when the going got tough he was the one who pulled the team together and tried to motivate intrinsically and extrinsically.”

Howell impressed as a midfielder throughout his career, partly due to the decision from his former high school coach, Leebert Halliman, to move him from centre back.

The decision paid off as Howell captained Excelsior to consecutive Manning Cup titles in 2003 and 2004.

Halliman, who now serves as technical director for Camperdown High, brought Howell into coaching as he helped the under-16 team.

He told the Observer that his leadership qualities were second to none.

“I guess I identified [his leadership skills] from a very tender age while playing in the Manning Cup,” Halliman said. “The respect he had and the discipline, he couldn’t be the leader of the team that I coached if he didn’t have all of those attributes. And as a leader, he shows that he was capable of coaching.

“He was a true leader; he was a good fellow, good leader, sharp, very good player.”

Although never making an official appearance for the Reggae Boyz, Howell was part of several local camps and was named on the bench by Rene Simoes during a friendly international away to El Salvador in July 2008.