Walter Moore, FF Jaro Head coach begin scouting in Guyana

Former Golden Jaguars defender Walter Moore, who now plays for FF Jaro in Finland, arrived in Guyana on Friday morning with his Club Manager/Head Coach Kristian Heames, to begin a talent identification initiative during the period May 19-21.

The initiative will target the U-17 level as the duo, accompanied by Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) Technical Director Ian Greenwood and former national player Gregory “Jackie Chan” Richardson, head to Berbice on Friday evening.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday morning, GFF President, Wayne Forde, said he was “overwhelmed” at the initiative taken by Moore. He maintained that since a lot of emphasis is being placed on the youth development structure of Guyana, it is only fitting that the ‘talent ID trip’ be focused on the U-17 level, as those players will go on to comprise the next generation of Golden Jaguars.

Another initiative of the GFF that Forde noted as important to the development of the youth system is the inclusion of former national players as coaches/mentors. There currently are five former national players employed by the GFF.

Walter Moore retired from international football in October, after Guyana was knocked out of the CFU Cup in 2016. He revealed that the idea came to him after perusing the GFF’s Facebook page and seeing what Technical Director Greenwood was doing with the youth academies and schools. Moore then asked his coach, Kristian Heames, what he thought about going to Guyana to see the type of talent on offer in the country.

He noted that the trip also stems from an effort to give back to football in Guyana, as he has already done his best on the field. “It is time for a new level, a new step, a new adventure, a new beginning,” he declared.

Coach Heames said he was “really excited to be here”. He revealed that after hearing Moore’s proposition, he thought it sounded “interesting; like an exciting opportunity”. He noted that he is looking forward to seeing the players in action at the training sessions and practice games, as he wants the chance to see what their footballing levels are like.

The next step, he pointed out, would be to discuss the possibility of players going to Europe. He deemed Walter Moore a good role model and a good example of Guyanese footballing skills.

Technical Director Ian Greenwood described as excellent the initiative to expose potential players to European club trials later in the year. He described the ‘talent ID trip’ as an excellent opportunity for the national U-17s to be exposed to a role model in Moore, who has given so much to Guyanese football over the years.

Moore, Heames, Greenwood and Richardson will participate in training sessions, practice games, and the assessment of players at the National U-17 Camp scheduled for May 19-21.