Premier League teams hound Hodges
THE hottest property in local football, the prolific Devon Hodges, could be leaving Rivoli United for one of three clubs.
Former champions Portmore United, Tivoli Gardens and Arnett Gardens are the front-runners to sign the Premier League’s top marksman from the relegated St Catherine club.
Yesterday, Rivoli’s manager Ansel Smart confirmed to the Observer that discussions are ongoing with Portmore United and Tivoli Gardens.
“We’re in discussions with two clubs, Portmore United and Tivoli Gardens, but there has to be some benefit to Rivoli as he (Hodges) is a contracted player,” noted Smart.
“I always said we would push him further and that’s why we sent him to Norway and Colorado for trials because we think he deserves it,” added Smart.
He added: “Hodges is a product we’ve built, so it won’t be a regular transfer. We can pay him to play Super League but if there is any movements, we have to benefit financially.”
Meanwhile, it is rumoured that the national striker might be on his way to Arnett Gardens after he was spotted in training recently.
Hodges, 26, has been at Rivoli since 2004 after leaving St James team Wadadah in 2003. In 2006, Rivoli was relegated from top-flight football, but Hodges’ eight goals in six play-off matches saw the St Catherine outfit back in the Premier League for the 2008/09 season.
In fact, in the last play-off match, he scored four times against his former club Wadadah in an 11-0 win.
In his first season back at the highest level, he immediately became the league’s topscorer with 24 goals in the 2008/2009 season to keep Rivoli up.
He continued his goalscoring spree in the 2009/2010 season, finishing with 18 goals to be the DPL’s joint leading goalscorer, but unfortunately, Rivoli were relegated again.
Hodges gained local fame by setting the record for most goals scored in a single premiership game, when he scored 10 during Rivoli’s 15-0 trashing (which is also a record) of Invaders in the 2004/2005 season.
He made his debut for Jamaica in a May 2009 friendly against El Salvador and scored his first international goal in his second match against Panama. He has two international goals to his name to date.
The prolific and burly striker has attracted the attention of club scouts in Norway and the United States Of America and most recently he had a trial stint with US club Colorado Rapids in February.
