Expect quality football from Vere/Phoenix – Butler

Much is being expected of Vere United in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) this season, largely due to their partnership with the Craig Butler-led Phoenix Academy, and with the JPL scheduled to kick off tomorrow, the veteran coach says fans can expect top-quality football from the Clarendon-based club.

In the off-season, Vere/Phoenix added experienced as well international players to help boost their roster and their transfer list includes the likes of Odane Murray from Mount Pleasant, Trinidadian midfielder Matthew Woo Ling, young Guyanese forward Ravi Coates and David Juba of Grenada.

They have also added young local talent such as Dunbeholden’s Alex Gayle, Michael Forbes, Michael Graham, goalkeeper Shakur Adair, Marques Reid and former national youth player Kyle Butler who has come out of a four-year retirement to rekindle his career at age 26.

With all these players plus top local coach Lenworth Hyde, Butler says a lot can be expected when they turn out to face Montego Bay United in their opening game at the Wembley Centre of Excellence tomorrow.

“You can expect quality, quality and more quality,” Butler emphasised. “You can expect commitment, loyalty and professionalism.

“To get quality it is important to weed out the bad weeds so that the grass can grow clean and smooth, and that is what we have done. Now we have quality players, a quality team, good systems and coaches with a winning mentality.

“We have Kyle Butler, Matthew Woo Ling, Denzel McKenzie, Robinho Gordon, Dante Peralto and Donahue Mitchell. So it will be excitement, positivity and victories for the Vere/Phoenix team,” Butler said.

Schoolboys such as McKenzie, Gordon and Peralto are important members of the Vere/Phoenix set-up but Butler said they will be allowed to focus on their school leagues.

‘We have a squad with more than 40 people registered so we can always shuffle. What we plan to do is get through the first quarter. If we can get through that first quarter, when the reinforcement comes it will be good.

“But we don’t want to disturb the youths in the schoolboy football. So for the games that are not that crucial, we will use whose available,” he explained.

“But we have quality and we have added to that, a Jamaican Englishman, and Jamaica will soon see him as well,” he hinted.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com