Garrett secures scholarship at US-based University

Well-known footballer Jeremy Garrett is one step closer to his dream of playing on the international stage, as he is now heading to the Unites States of America to take up a football scholarship at the Louisiana State University.

The 18-year-old has been actively pursuing his dream over the years and even travelled to Portugal in 2016 for a tryout with the Sporting Clube de Portugal, which proved to be successful. However, Garrett could not sign with the Club at the time owing to Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) rules and regulations Article 19 which relates to “Protection of Minors”, stating: “International transfers of players are only permitted if the player is over the age of 18.”
As such, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) saw the need for liaising with international coaches, who would see to the development of their star players.
“Almost five months ago, the GFF started a level of engagement with Coaches within the university structure of the United States. And we determined that some of the players will be challenged to access opportunities in some of the higher-ranked universities while others might be suited for community colleges and academic institutions,” GFF President Wayne Forde stated.
The football head went on to explain the chain of procedure that the GFF had to go through in order to set up Garrett’s opportunity. He indicated that the Federation was looking forward to doing so for more players in the future.

“The Federation was required to offer certain assurances on behalf of Jeremy, but in the final analysis, it is pleasing to us that J will be able to access this opportunity. I think Jeremy will be leading the charge for many young players that will follow him subsequently. The goal of the Fed is clearly to open up these opportunities to as many young players as possible,” he said.
Secretary of Jeremy’s home club, Fruta Conquerors, Daniel Thomas stated that the Club was happy to see one of its top-tier players receive such a big break.
“At Fruta Conquerors, we’re overwhelmed at the possibility of Jeremy attending the Louisiana State, his journey has been long, but J is dedicated to the cause,” Thomas said.
With an outpouring of gratitude to the Almighty, his parents, Coaches and supporters, Garrett noted that he was focused on making the most of his opportunity, stating, “For me it all started in terms of balancing the academics and sport at my home club; we ran a summer programme every year and that’s where it started for me. I’m thankful for the opportunity presented to me and I’ll look to make full use of it and make Guyana proud.”