CATHERINE HALL, St James — Dujuan “Whisper” Richards may not start for the Reggae Boyz in today’s friendly international against Trinidad and Tobago at the Montego Bay Sports Complex but Head Coach Heimer Hallgrimsson has a lot of regard for the 17-year-old striker.

Richards, who is coming off an impressive season in the ISSA schoolboy football competitions and is reported to be on the verge of his first professional contract, is one of several teenagers in the squad for the two-game series.

“He is a really good kid technically, really, really a good kid. Physically… he’s ready,” Hallgrimsson told journalists at Friday’s final training session at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

“But it will be a challenge for him to step up to men’s football, and especially jumping straight to international level. It’s a big jump.”

Hallgrimsson added: “There’s no pressure on that kid. No pressure. He’s a future player. If he’s ready or not, it’s not really for me to say. What’s important is just to see how he and where his level is. And for me, it’s not important if you score a goal or not; [it’s] just good to have him [in] the team. He’s a good kid to be involved in the game.”

Richards, who recently returned to the island after a trial stint in England with Premier League outfit Newcastle United, said it was good to be part of the 25-man squad for the two games, and paid tribute to the senior Boyz coach.

“It’s great feeling to be in the national senior team,” he said. “He’s a very good coach. He spends a lot of time on the field, not just standing at the sidelines and giving instructions,” Richards added.

The Kingston College standout said the Reggae Boyz coach had helped to improve his game in many ways, especially as in relation to “passing, moving, [and] stuff like that”.