3 months ago
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DONOVAN SEGREE turned heads when he made the switch from Jamaica Premier League (JPL) outfit Dunbeholden to line up for Red Hills United in the KSAFA Major League on loan in January.
However, Segree explained that the reason for the move was his desire to prepare for life after football.
Segree rose to prominence as a schoolboy footballer during his time with Jamaica College before moving overseas, where he played for the University of Cincinnati in the United States.
Segree returned to Jamaica, where he would make more than 70 appearances in the JPL with various clubs like Arnett Gardens, Mount Pleasant, and Dunbeholden.
He would then make the shock loan move of leaving Dunbeholden for Red Hills United, which he explained was the first step in preparing for his life after football.
At the age of 28, Segree made the difficult decision of beginning his transition out of the sport he has been playing for two decades.
“There are a lot of reasons why I decided to stop playing in the Premier League, but one of the main reasons is because for the last 20 years, I had dedicated myself to football,” Segree told the Gleaner.
“I’ve recently turned 28 and even though it was a very hard decision, I knew that at some point in my life, I had to start thinking about getting a 9-5.
“The reason I joined Red Hills was because it aligns with what I’m trying to achieve outside of football, which is being able to join the workforce before reaching my mid-30s.”
Segree said that while he hopes to continue to play football, he will also be focused on pursuing his career off the field.
He has started his transition now to ensure that he can enter the workforce with years of experience and avoid being an entry-level worker after leaving football.
Segree graduated from the University of Cincinnati undergraduate programme, where he earned a degree in organisational leadership, which will help in his career pursuits.
“I don’t want to be an entry-level at that age, so I’m making the transition from now,” he explained. “I graduated from university in 2021 with a degree in organisational leadership and business management.”
He explained that the decision to join Red Hills was an easy one as he grew up just across the street from the club.
Having been welcomed with open arms, he has enjoyed a prolific run of form in the Major League, where he stands as the top goalscorer with 18 goals this season.
Now with the semi-finals on Saturday, he is ready to help push Red Hill’s fight for promotion to the KSAFA Championship.
“The environment here has been wonderful because I am around people that I have known since I was a youth, both players and management.” Segree said. “It was easy to fit in, in this environment.”
“This is where I grew up. Actually, my house is literally across the road from the field, so I want to help the club in any way that I can.
“Luckily for me, I have been able to help the team by scoring goals, which is one of the most important aspects of football and an area where the team has been lacking. When I came here, that was the aim: to get the promotion and get into the Championship.”
Red Hills will face Cooreville Gardens on Saturday armed with the knowledge that a win will see them earning a spot in the final and securing promotion to the Championship.
English (US) ·