Dwight is TTFF’s 2005 ‘Player of the Year’

By: Shaun Fuentes.
30-Dec-2005 - National Senior Football Team Captain Dwight Yorke has been adjudged the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation’s Male “Footballer of the Year” for 2005 and as a result will go up as the nominee for the First Citizens’ Bank Sportsman of the Year Award at the ceremony next March.
The TTFF made the disclosure on Friday as the days numbered down to the end of a year which saw Yorke lead the National Team to a historic World Cup qualification for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Yorke, 34, arrived back in Australia on Thursday and was in good spirits following the Christmas break given to him and other members of the Sydney FC club following their appearance at the FIFA World Club Championship in Japan.
The former Manchester United Star celebrated his biggest achievement on November 16 when this country defeated Bahrain 1-0 to secure its berth in next year’s World Cup. Following his return to the National team after an absence dating back to June 2001, in February this year in a final round qualifier against the United States at the Queen’s Park Oval, Yorke went on to play every minute of the following eleven World Cup qualifying matches for the “Soca Warriors” and capped his phenomenal comeback with the left sided corner which resulted in Dennis Lawrence’s winning strike to secure T&T’s win over Bahrain. He has also performed with credit for Australian club Sydney FC so far this season, finishing the year with a  penalty strike in Sydney’s 2-2 draw with New Zealand Knights on Friday.
Yorke wept openly when the final whistle blew as he described the achievement as his lifelong dream come true.
“It definitely has to be the biggest achievement for me on my return to the National team,” Yorke told TTFF Media. “To finish it off this way by qualifying for the World Cup which aside from all my other success, has been my dream as a young kid, is fantastic and it is dedicated to the team and the rest of the country. I couldn’t have asked for a better year of football for all of us.”
TTFF President Oliver Camps, manager of the 1989 squad of which Yorke was a member, added: “Dwight truly deserved everything given to him this year and all that he has achieved and we felt it was fitting to name him the best player for 2005. There were several others who performed creditably like Stern John and others and if it were up to me I would name the entire National Team as players and sportsmen of the year for 2005.”
Like Camps, TTFF Special Advisor Jack Warner couldn’t hold back his words of admiration for the Tobago-born Yorke.
“He was a wonderful leader and player for us this year and this is a man who a lot of people wrote off and to see how he was transformed into the kind of individual as he remains today is a brilliant example for all of us to follow. He left us in 2001 and many of us felt it was unfitting and unfair but he came back and he did it in style and with honour and that alone is admirable and fitting of this honour,” Warner told TTFF Media as he engaged in a end of year gathering with CONCACAF and TTFF staff at his offices on Friday.
Young Chris Birchall, a member of the National Team, said he was delighted for Yorke.
“I’m not surprised he's been named the player of the year because he deserves all that he gets now. He's been a massive influence on me and  made me feel  welcome when he came and spoke to me personally before all the games. He gave me the confidence to go out and play and was always talking and helping me on the pitch. I think myself and Aurtis (Whitley) have learnt a lot off Dwight and that has done us all well in the middle of midfield, I’m happy we got to Germany  especially for Dwight because now he can say he has achieved all his ambitions as a player,” Birchall said. The TTFF’s Female “Player of the Year” will be announced shortly.

Some of Dwight’s achievements in the Game.
 
· Top-scorer for Blackburn Rovers in 2002/2003
· First non-English player to score 100 goals (in a 3-0 win at Derby County) in the Premiership in 2000/2001
· English Premier League winner's medal with Manchester United in 2000/2001
· English Premier League winner's medal with Manchester United in 1999/2000
· Top-scorer for Manchester United in 1999/2000
· 10th place in FIFA's World Player of the Year ranking in 1999
· English Premier League Golden Boot Award (18 goals) in 1998/1999
· Runner-up PFA Player of the Year in 1998/1999
· Voted to the PFA Team of the Year in 1998/1999
· Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee Sports Personality of the Year in 1998
· Aston Villa's Player of the Year in 1996/1997
· Top-scorer for Aston Villa in 1996/1997
· English Premier League winner's medal with Manchester United in 1998/1999
· English FA Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1998/1999
· European Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1998/1999
· Carling Player of the Year in 1998/1999
· Carling Player of the Month (for February) with Aston Villa in 1996
· Top-scorer for Aston Villa in 1995/1996
· Intercontinental Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1999
· Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal Gold (for Sport) in 1999
· League Cup winner's medal with Aston Villa in 1995/1996
· Aston Villa's Player of the Year in 1995/1996
· Top-scorer for Aston Villa in 1994/1995
· Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver (for Sport) in 1993
· Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary's Award in 2005
· TTFF "Player Of The Year" 2005
· 2005 - Captain T&T to their first ever senior World Cup (2006)
· Australian A-League winner's medal with Sydney FC in 2005/2006
· 2006 - Trinidad & Tobago Sports Personality of the Year
· 2006 - Trinidad & Tobago Player of the Year
· Coca-Cola Championship League Team of the Week (04-Feb-2007)
· 2006/2007 - Captain Sunderland to the Champion League Title
· 2006/2007 - Captain Sunderland back to the Premiership

Draw sets up English reunion for Yorke.

By: Henry Winter (Telegraph, London).
15-Dec-2005 - Dwight Yorke has always loved dancing, a nocturnal pursuit that displeased Sir Alex Ferguson during the striker's lively sojourn at Manchester United. Trinidad's answer to John Travolta was even jiving around his Japanese hotel room at breakfast-time the other day. Yorke had just seen the World Cup draw.
News that his team, Trinidad and Tobago, meet England in Nuremberg on June 15 had Yorke performing a jig of delight. "It's a dream come true," smiled Yorke yesterday, the sweat glistening on the brow of Sydney FC's biggest name after a rigorous shooting practice here at the Club World Championship.
"I have affection for England, learnt my trade there, and played there for so many years," added Yorke, who enjoyed good times at Aston Villa and United, if far less impressive spells at Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City. "I have still got my house in Manchester. I feel Manchester is my home. I couldn't believe the draw! I was dancing around the room! It's the ultimate. I tried to phone a few people in England but didn't get through."
Maybe the thought of Yorke calling to proclaim what the 'Soca Warriors' would do to the Three Lions prompted his many English friends to hide behind their answerphones. He even tried to contact an old ally, David Beckham, England's captain.
"He's a very difficult man to track with his mobile number! He keeps changing it. I thought I was bad but he is worse!
"Becks and I go back a long way. We sat next to each other in the dressing room at United. It was pretty cool knowing him and playing alongside him. Great fun. Great memories. He made so many goals for me. It will be great to shake his hand before the game and say, 'may the best team win'.
"But let's get it right here: we are the underdogs. We are a population of 1.2million. England are a giant of football. If we win, it would be the biggest upset of all time. As captain, what I don't want is for us to get embarrassed. We expect England to beat us but it's not going to be an easy ride for them. England tend to have one or two hiccups. All our players should be raring to go. There is no greater incentive than playing England."
Yorke pines after United, for whom he plundered 64 goals in 144 games before Ferguson offloaded him to Blackburn. "Who wouldn't miss Old Trafford? But everything comes to an end. I walked out of Old Trafford with my head high. I felt I did a great job.
"It was a pity I left a little bit early. I could still have done a job there. I still support the Reds in a big way. They are always going to be part of me. People say I have a grudge against Sir Alex Ferguson. I haven't. The best of us players have to leave at some stage, as much as we don't want to. He's the boss, but who would have thought it would happen to Roy Keane of all people?
"Everyone has to leave at some stage, including the great man. Sir Alex Ferguson will know when the time is up. If not, the board will know when the time is up or the Glazer family. It's a difficult one, because he has done so well for the club. He's a man with enormous dignity.
"When things are not well, as at the minute, everyone tends to make him the scapegoat and say it's time for him to move on but he's still a great manager. He still commands respect from the players. There is no one better to turn things around."
A passion for the club runs deep inside Yorke. "People from United were very nice to me when I joined Sydney. Everyone from the club wished me well, from the manager down to the kit manager, Albert, who I keep in touch with.
"All the players who have left United have not exactly fallen by the wayside but they have not seemed to enjoy their football as much. You don't enjoy playing with players who are not as talented as at United. At United, it's a passing game. When you join teams who kick and run down the channels you don't enjoy that too much.
"I went to Birmingham, got messed around, and thought, 'I deserve better than this'. The players who were playing instead of me [Stern John and Jesper Gronkjaer] weren't particularly better than I am. I don't mind leaving England, but the way I did wasn't nice."
I had just had enough of England for a while. I needed a change. People thought I left the Premiership to come out to Sydney just to enjoy the way of life - which is part of it - but I enjoy my football.
"It's beautiful in Sydney. I have a fantastic apartment in Darling Harbour, bang centre of the city, with a view of Sydney Harbour.
"I have a big smile on my face again. I hadn't had that for a couple of years. With Trinidad qualifying, I have an even bigger smile." And then came the draw that made Yorke feel like dancing.

Dwight thinks of Germany’s WC day & night.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
01-Dec-2005 - T&T’s skipper Dwight Yorke last week admitted that he never in a million years thought he would grace the World Cup playing fields for his country.
Yorke, captain of Sydney FC, said he has found it hard to focus on anything else other than T&T’s historic qualification success after a 1-0 win over Bahrain on November 16.
Yorke said he remains committed to his Australian club, but the thoughts of going to Germany with the “Soca Warriors” has been on his mind day and night.
He added that, he’s had a big week of celebrations with close friend Brian Lara as the both toasted to the latter’s World Test record and T&T’s booking for Germany.
“Never in a million years would I have expected everything that has happened. When I left the Premiership I had no idea what would happen, but the last five months have been unbelievable,” Yorke said.
He’s attracted much fanfare at Sydney and now he has won new supporters who will be there to see both Australia and T&T at next year’s Finals.
“It has been a massive thing for our country to make the World Cup, as we are only a tiny country and it is the first time we have done it,” he said. “It has been hard to think about anything else. Obviously something like that can be a distraction and I have been caught up a bit in the celebration.”
Meanwhile, Australia has offered to help prepare Dwight Yorke for the World Cup finals in Germany next year provided the Socceroos don't draw Trinidad and Tobago in their group.
Socceroos assistant coach Graham Arnold is trying to organise a local-based squad of World Cup hopefuls to train and play friendly matches against state league clubs once the A-League is finished and would invite Yorke to join them.
"Dwight's been great for the A-League. He's given the competition a high profile," Arnold said yesterday.
"He showed just what a true professional he is when he skipped Trinidad's celebrations [after they beat Bahrain and qualified for their first World Cup] to come straight home and play for Sydney FC.
"If we can help him stay fit we will. It's one way of repaying him.
"But first we have to wait and see who we draw in our group."
Trinidad captain Yorke said yesterday he hadn't given much thought to how he would keep himself fit once his commitments ended with Sydney.
"I am not thinking that far ahead," he said. "I have a game against Melbourne on Saturday and then we're off to Japan where we first have to get past Deportivo Saprissa [in the FIFA World Club Championship]."
Arnold, along with coach Guus Hiddink, will be in Leipzig for the World Cup draw on December 9.
Arnold reiterated yesterday that A-League players were certainly not out of contention for the trip to Germany in June.
"Guus doesn't allow players to rest on their laurels," said Arnold. "All players have to perform," he said.
While he missed out on the squad for the qualifiers against Uruguay, Leicester's Patrick Kisnorbo will surely put pressure on some of the older players. "He'll be monitored just like everyone else," said Arnold.

The new Dwight Yorke.

By: Ian Prescott (Express).
13-Oct-2005 - A former Trinidad and Tobago national team manager swears that the return of Dwight Yorke to international duty is the greatest thing to happen to Trinidad and Tobago's football. Richard Brathwaite makes no bones of the fact that he's a Dwight Yorke fan, even going so far as to write a report in the Review magazine in defence of the Tobago-born footballer. Brathwaite is among a lot of people in the twin-island republic now commending the decision to bring back Yorke back to international action.
Once known as a cavalier playboy, who many sensed would come back to party as much as to play football for his country, Yorke now seems to have a developed a new commitment to the national team following a four-year absence after quitting international football in the middle of T&T's last World Cup campaign.
Among the significant things Yorke has done is to encourage his "partner in crime" (for want of a better phrase), Russell Latapy, to also come out of a four-year exile to serve the national team.
Yorke also seems to be working his pants off in training and on the field, sliding in for tackles, falling back in the defence to actually defend-something he never did before-and urging the players around him to lift their game. In Connecticut, USA, when T&T were under the gun against the United States, Yorke was almost on the verge of vexation as he urged his teammates to improve their play. In Costa Rica, Carlos Edwards especially, got an admonishing to lift his game. That is a far cry from the the old Yorke, who turned up late for training sessions, among other things.
"I think Dwight has been magnificent," Brathwaite declares. "I am pleased to see that he has come back to play for the country. I think that he is showing a lot of leadership qualities and skill. The skill was always there, but now, he is a genuine team leader on the field."
The decision to bring back Yorke took place under Brathwaite's charge, when Tobago-born national coach Bertille St Clair was still at the helm. Brathwaite says the effort to bring back Yorke was difficult, but he always felt it was the correct decision.
"I went to Blackburn to see him play a game, and when I returned I remember saying that anyone who felt that Dwight Yorke 'gone through', was mad. I could see that Dwight still had a lot of football in him and a lot to offer Trinidad and Tobago."
Brathwaite also believes that Yorke has been given a bad rap over the years. Brathwaite refers to his Review article in which he wrote: "Let me state from the outset that I am, and have always been, a Dwight Yorke fan; not only because I enjoyed watching his goal scoring skills at the highest levels of the game, but more so because I have always admired his capacity for hard work and his determination to succeed. Make no mistake about it, for a footballer from a small island like Tobago to rise to the top of the heap in Europe requires formidable resolve and tenacity. Undoubtedly, Lady Luck would have also played a part, but there is no way Dwight Yorke could have raised his market value from £12,000 to £12 million without an outstanding work ethic.
"Even today, when some may argue that he has 'passed his best', his level of fitness remains high, prompting the Birmingham City manager to grudgingly admit that 'Dwight Yorke is one of the fittest players at the club'. Therein lies the paradox. On the one hand, there is the popular image of the playboy, driving expensive cars at break-neck speeds and partying until the wee hours of the morning. Then there is the completely opposite image of the uncompromising, dedicated professional, working tirelessly to keep his body in shape for the game he loves.
"I can say little about the former image, although I have seen the torrid newspaper headlines and I have heard numerous rumours about the 'fun-loving' side of Dwight Yorke. I suspect some of it is the usual sensationalism that surrounds modern-day 'celebrities' and Dwight's early naivete may have added fuel to the fire. However, I have encountered the latter image on several occasions, and unfortunately it has always been away from the media spotlight.
"Two occasions come readily to mind. The first occurred when I was the manager of the Caribbean All Star Football Team in 1998 which was selected to play an exhibition game against the 'Reggae Boyz' in New Jersey, USA. Jamaica had recently qualified for the France World Cup and the stadium was packed to capacity. The All-Stars won 2-1 and Dwight Yorke scored both goals (I think), but it was later that the surprise came. The game was played at the end of the English season and many of the players were in a 'holiday' mood. After the game, the All-Stars returned to the hotel where a large crowd had gathered to celebrate. I looked around the crowded lobby searching for Dwight because I had an urgent matter to discuss with him.
"Someone shouted that he had gone up to his room and you could not help noticing the wry smiles and knowing winks. As far as the fans were concerned, if Dwight Yorke had slipped away quietly to his room after a friendly game and during the off.
Yorke had slipped away quietly to his room after a friendly game and during the off season at that, then it had to be for one thing and one thing only. As the matter was urgent, I still went up to his room and knocked on the door, hoping that he would come out into the hallway and we could chat. Instead I heard Dwight's panting, breathless voice, 'Come in, it's open'.
"I stepped nervously into the room, only to see him alone on the floor, sweating profusely, doing push-ups. I waited and watched him complete 200 push-ups before we were able to talk. I remember telling him how surprised I was to see him doing push-ups after such a tough game. His simple reply was, 'Braffo, I am a professional. I have to keep in shape'. While the rest of his teammates were downstairs enjoying the impromptu party, Dwight Yorke was all alone in his room, away from the media and the fans doing push-ups.
"The other incident occurred just last year in Tobago. The Trinidad and Tobago national team was in the sister isle to play against North Ireland. Two days before the game, the national team was returning from a training session in Tobago, when the bus drove by a lonely figure running along the side of the road under a blazing midday sun. It was only after the bus pulled alongside that we saw it was Dwight Yorke himself, all alone, pounding the asphalt, but with no 'paparazzi' around to capture the moment. Perhaps it is a picture that would never appear on the front pages of newspapers around the world, but it is still 'worth a thousand words'."
Muhammad Isa, a former national coach under whom the former Manchester United striker would have served, held similar commendation for Yorke.
"I think what we are seeing now is what people always wanted to see of Dwight Yorke. I think it was a true moment of inspiration to bring him back."
St Lucian Stuart Charles Fevrier, another former T&T national coach, feels Yorke may finally have realised that this is his last chance to play in a World Cup finals and with Trinidad and Tobago having a realistic shot at qualifying, Yorke is giving everything.
"I think Dwight is playing some of the best football he has ever played for the national team. The fact that he has been made captain is giving him lots of confidence. He is really playing for the team."

Skipper's gone to Panama on serious business.

By Shaun Fuentes.
06-Oct-2005 - Trinidad and Tobago captain Dwight Yorke made his way into Panama City on Wednesday and right away revealed his expectations of facing a tricky Panama outfit in Saturday’s 2006 World Cup qualifier at the Estadio Romel Fernandez from 9pm T&T time.
With an eager look in his eyes, the former Manchester United star had only smiles for the Panamanian photographers on hand at the National Stadium for T&T’s evening training session. But he wasted no time in letting it be known that he and the “Warriors” were in town on a serious mission. “We know this is going to be as tough a game as any for us in this campaign,” Yorke told TTFF Media.
“Panama will be coming all out to prove something and we know this will be a difficult game for us because we don’t expect that they will just lie down and let us get the three points we so badly want. If it’s anything I think they will see three points being nice to get as well even though they are not in the race anymore,” the current Sydney FC skipper said.
With Yorke being the only T&T  player to play in every of the eight matches in the current final qualifying round along with Stern John, he said his fitness rate was fine at the moment and he definitely exhibited that on the training pitch since here. John has played in 15 of the 16 matches dating back to the start of the campaign on June 13 2004 in a 2-0 win over Dominican Republic in Santo Domingo. Andrews has also played in 14 of the matches dating back to that game when he also netted. He missed two games through injury.
“Without a doubt we must get a win here on Saturday. And then we will leave the rest up to what happens when we play against Mexico at home. At the same time, Mexico have shown how strong a footballing country they are having just won the Under 17 World Cup and by all means there senior team will be wanting to show what sort of a quality team they are as well,” Yorke said.

Sydney go all out duchessing Yorke.

By Michael Cockerill.
04-Jul-2005 - Having settled into Sydney with a night on the town on Saturday, star striker Dwight Yorke started the process of settling into his new team when he trained with Sydney FC for the first time at Moore Park yesterday.
The two-hour workout under coach Pierre Littbarski's watchful eye was leisurely by the German's exacting standards, but Yorke - who concedes he is "a long way short" of match fitness - won't be getting much of a respite.
Littbarski has 17 more sessions planned for the next fortnight, and the 33-year-old former Manchester United player will be expected to last the distance.
"Actually, I saw no signs that he is not fit, and hopefully we don't need to do anything special for him," said Littbarski. "I don't want to make it more complicated. The best way for him to fit in is to go the normal way."
Yorke already knows how to fit into Sydney off the park. He has been here on holidays many times before, and it was his love of the Sydney lifestyle which convinced him to wind down his playing career in the new A-League rather than accept a much more lucrative offer to play in the Middle East.
The question on everyone's lips is how much Yorke's taste for the night life - he was spotted at Hugo's Lounge in Kings Cross at the weekend - will affect his playing performance. Only the player knows the answer to that.
Certainly, the club has gone wide-eyed into the deal, and in many ways is seeking to cash in on Yorke's controversial reputation. Yorke is the biggest name in the new competition partly because of his goals, and partly because of who he is - an A-List celebrity for the A-League.
It is no coincidence that a Sydney FC membership campaign, which has been sluggish until now, will move into overdrive now that Yorke is finally in town.
For Littbarski, the task is to make sure the off-field regime of his star signing becomes irrelevant in terms of his contribution to the cause. At the end of his first training session, Yorke was pledging to knuckle down.
"I've got eight weeks before the start of the season, that's my target," he said.
"I'm sure the physical coach and the conditioner will work on me, and it should be a matter of three or four weeks before I'm up and running for my first game.
"There's no doubt I'm getting a lot older, and I'm experienced enough to know what my body can take. There are a lot of demands on it, and you have to know when to back off a little bit.
"But at this point in time I feel great. The weather here obviously helps, and I'm looking forward to getting into tip-top condition. Meeting all the lads for the first time officially today was exciting as well."
Having been excused from a trial game in Canberra this weekend, Yorke is set to make his debut during the official pre-season tournament, which starts at the end of the month. The A-League kicks off in late August.
Yorke accepts the inevitability that he will be a marked man as soon as the serious business of gathering competition points is at stake. "I'm sure there will be players who will relish the opportunity of coming up against someone of my profile," he said.
"Hopefully, that will lift my teammates and we'll all rise to the challenge. There is expectation, and it won't be easy. But that comes with the package, that's fair enough. My shoulders are broad enough to take that sort of pressure. I've been living under those sort of circumstances for quite some time."
Despite his tribulations over the past two years - falling out of favour at both Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City - Yorke still plays well enough to be a key figure for his national team, Trinidad and Tobago. Thus, Sydney FC will have to share him for the next few months, with the Caribbean side scheduled to play five more World Cup qualifiers in the North/Central America zone.
Mexico and the US will fill the top two places, but Trinidad and Tobago are vying with Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala for the third qualifying spot.

Dwight Yorke chasing more trophies as he lands Down Under.

Sydney  FC Website.
30-Jun-2005 - Sydney FC striker Dwight Yorke arrived in Sydney today and immediately declared he was ready to help his new team mates chase trophies with the start of the Hyundai A-League just nine weeks away.
Yorke was part of one of the most successful teams of all time when he played a major part in Manchester United’s historic treble in 1999 when they won the English Premier League, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League but he has already set his sights on more silverware.
“I have come to Sydney FC because there is a buzz about the football club and there is a hunger to do well and win trophies,” Yorke said. “As a player there is nothing better than playing in a successful team and I have had that opportunity at Manchester United and I get that feeling about Sydney FC.
“Already the club has been successful and won two trophies and there is no doubt there are expectations on Sydney FC to continue that, and so there should be. I want to make sure I do everything possible to make sure that the attention Sydney FC is receiving is backed up with results on the field.
“Hopefully we can play some good football, score goals and entertain the people of Sydney because we want to be exciting and win games.”
Yorke fronted a substantial media scrum when he was introduced to the public for the first time as a Sydney FC player with media numbers rarely seen at football functions but no more than normal for a player who has scaled the dizzy heights of world football.
The charismatic Trinidad & Tobago international spoke about his desire to show the people of Sydney what he was capable of, his hunger for success and proved he had something in common with all Australian by declaring his desire to qualify for the 2006 World Cup.
“I still have that competitive hunger and I have not come here to waste anybody’s time,” he said. “I have always strived to give my very best on the football field and I am looking forward to showing the people of Sydney and Australia what I am capable of.”
Yorke also spoke about the extra responsibility that goes with the “marquee player” tag but stressed he was not interested in being set aside from his new Sydney FC team mates.
“I understand there will be extra spotlight and responsibility as a marquee player but I am not interested in being elevated above my team mates,” he said. “Football is a team game and the thing I am looking forward to most is meeting the lads and getting to know them.
“I want to do as much as I can to help share the experiences I have learned from my career and work with the younger players to help them improve.”
Yorke’s arrival today is the final piece in Sydney FC’s jigsaw puzzle and it was appropriate that he was introduced to the media alongside Sydney FC Coach Pierre Littbarski. Between the two of them Yorke and Littbarski have won almost every major football trophy available and the respect is mutual.
“You only have to look at what he (Littbarski) has achieved in the game to understand that he is a good coach and knows a lot about the game,” Yorke said. “You don’t get to play in the World Cup without knowing the game and he has done it three times.
“His record speaks for itself and he has already won trophies with Sydney FC so I can’t speak highly enough of his record.”
Littbarski was equally as glowing in his praise of his new striker but did prove Yorke’s theory that he was a good coach by remaining non-committal about how he would try to juggle three of the best strikers in the A-League in Yorke, David Zdrilic and Sasho Petrovski.
“Dwight is a tremendous player who has done a lot in the game and he impressed me when we met earlier this year,” Littbarski said. “He will be one of our leading players but it is too early to decide who will play in (sic) the strikers.” Yorke starts training on Monday when he will join his Sydney FC team mates for the first time.

Dwight Yorke: Germany dream still alive.

By: Shaun Fuentes.
11-Jun-2005 - National football team captain Dwight Yorke believes that this country still stands a very realistic chance of grabbing third place in the race to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Though admitting he was saddened by the 2-0 loss to Mexico after such a fighting display by the “Warriors”, Yorke revealed his optimism as he cooled down at the Sheraton Hotel in Monterrey the night after the match before taking a flight back to London the next day ahead of his trip to Sydney.
He cited the next two months as vital towards T&T’s preparations for the August 17 World Cup qualifier away to United States.
“We’re still in the thick of things right now. You take away America and Mexico and you see we are still in the race. There’s a maximum of 15 points to play for and I think if we can get something out of that then third place is up for grabs. It’s all about us and how react to this defeat. We have about two months to get ready for the next game against America and I’m sure we can go from strength to strength. The team is going to be fitter coming off preseason and the Gold Cup and I definitely won’t be counting out a result for us against America,” Yorke told TTFF Media. T&T currently stands in fifth spot with four points, same as fourth place Guatemala with Mexico (13-points), USA (12-pts), Costa Rica (7-pts) and Panama last on two points.
Reflecting on the performance against the Mexicans, the Sydney FC striker said the team played exactly to instructions from head coach Leo Beenhakker.
“There are a lot of positives we can take away from the game and it’s important that we see this and use it to our advantage for the rest of the campaign. We played relatively well in the first half when we kept them at bay. We stood up against them and we played exactly how the manager asked us to play as a team. Our ethic was right and the attitude was good.
“It was all good up to seventy minutes and we thought  at one stage we got the better of them especially when the crowd was a little bit quiet which is something you don’t really see in Mexico. But we felt at that stage we were doing enough and unfortunately in football the game doesn’t stop there for you. We conceded a very bad goal and then their tail was up and the momentum changed in their favour. But other than that I still feel proud of the players because they did everything that was possible.”
Yorke mentioned that it was now evident that there has been a rise in the performance level of the “Warriors” for which he credits the players and the work of Beenhakker.
“There has been a massive improvement. The lads have reacted to the manager. His formation has been good and he has us believing in ourselves again and we believe in him as a manager. That’s enormous achievement when you consider the position we were in earlier in the campaign. We have a growing momentum right now,” he ended.

Dwight Yorke: We owe it to the country.

By: Stuart Higgins - Express.
18-May-2005 - Trinidad and Tobago's football captain Dwight Yorke last night talked frankly about the country's World Cup hopes and confidently declared: "It's a tall order-but it's not impossible."
Yorke said he felt the players "owed the country" a good showing after their below-par performances in their earlier qualifiers, which saw them earn just one point from three matches.
"We have got to start believing in ourselves again. We have a different management structure, different technical staff and some new players and we have got to start performing. This is a win-win situation."
The ex-Manchester United hero, who is now bound for Sydney, Australia, was also "sad and disappointed" to lose T&T's former coach Bertille St Clair, who he regarded as a "personal mentor".
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation replaced St Clair with Dutchman Leo Beenhakker following T&T's 0-0 draw with Costa Rica on March 30, the national team having lost their first two 2006 World Cup qualifiers to the United States (2-1) and Guatemala (5-1).
"We are all disappointed but I was especially because he had been personally very supportive to me and encouraged me to come out of retirement. But when you are the manager you cannot hide and it's the results that decide whether you stay in a job or not. No-one is happy to see a manager go."
The 33-year-old player was speaking candidly about Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup hopes and his own ambitions just before the national team play top Peruvian club Alianza Lima this evening at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in the build-up to their next World Cup qualifier at home to Panama on June 4.
Yorke acknowledged that the players also had to raise their game.
"We, as players, have got to stand up and be counted. We were simply not good enough in those previous matches and did not perform and we owe the fans a lot more.
"We have to go in there and be confident and positive. There are ways of losing football matches which sometimes mean you have played well and lost or been unlucky to lose but we cannot make those kind of excuses. We have gone out there and lost matches. We just didn't perform or compete, and we know that. We threw away those games.
"You have to demonstrate your work ethic and the will to win. I am very critical of myself and I always believe I can do better. I am one of the more experienced and senior professionals and I have learned a lot and I should be able to bring that to the team to help them and give them confidence," said Yorke.
"We all have bad days but if you work hard and show the right level of aggression and of work- rate, then you can come off the field with your head held high even if the game has gone against you."
Yorke, who starts his two-year spell in Australia with Sydney FC in August, recognises that the next few World Cup qualifiers will also shape his own international career.
He added: "These next two games against Panama and Mexico (June 8th) are crucial for my international future. I obviously hope I can play in both those game, but at some stage I will have to make way for the youngsters coming through. There are plenty of them and they are knocking on the door, which is really encouraging.
"If you qualify for this ultimate level of competition it is a unique feeling. You know you are playing against the greatest teams and players in the world and testing yourself against them. That's a great feeling, especially if you are tasting it for the first time as a youngster."
Looking at another discipline, Yorke also admitted it was a "low point" in the region's sporting history with South Africa's triumph over the West Indies, a team which includes his close friend, Brian Lara.
"It's true we are suffering as a sporting nation and we are not used to being in this position. We have a collective responsibility to try to lift everyone's hopes and spirits in this part of the world."

Birmingham cancel Dwight Yorke's contract.

By: Soccernet.com.
25-Apr-2005 - Birmingham have cancelled the contract of striker Dwight Yorke by mutual consent after just eight months at the club.
Yorke, 33, is expected to join up with Australian A-League side, Sydney FC, in time for the start of their season in July.
Yorke joined Blues from Blackburn in August in a £250,000 deal and made an encouraging start with goals as a substitute against Charlton and Newcastle.
But the Trinidad and Tobago international made only four Premiership and two Carling Cup starts for Steve Bruce's side.
Bruce intimated during the January transfer window that Yorke could leave to attain regular football, and the arrival of Walter Pandiani meant the former Manchester United star slipped further down the pecking order.
Yorke's spell at the club sparked a row involving club owner David Sullivan after the player was subject of racial abuse from fans when he returned to Ewood Park with City in November.
Sullivan accused Yorke of 'over-reacting' to the situation and more recently hit out at his fellow directors of not publicly supporting him over the issue.
Yorke's spell in England spanned 16 years after he was signed for Aston Villa by Graham Taylor in 1989.
He spent seven successful years at Villa before forming a prolific partnership with Andy Cole at Manchester United - a pairing which also teamed up at Blackburn but not with the same success.
A club statement read: 'Birmingham City Football Club can today confirm that Dwight Yorke's contract has been cancelled by mutual consent.
'Both parties have agreed to terminate the contract so that Dwight can pursue a career in Australia.
'The club would like to take this opportunity to thank Dwight for his contribution to our season and wish him the best of luck for the future.'

Sydney FC signs Dwight Yorke.

17-Apr-2005 - Sydney FC (SBS) chairman Walter Bugno has revealed his club has secured the most significant signing of the A-League by completing the capture of Birmingham striker Dwight Yorke.
Bugno told tribalfootball.com from the team's tour base in Dubai that their marquee target had signed a two-year-deal.
"We're very happy to confirm that Dwight Yorke has signed a two-year contract with Sydney FC, beginning from the 1st of July," he said, delighted at the signing of the Trinidad & Tobago international. "We're delighted to sign Dwight after several months of negotiations. His trip to Sydney last week was very telling."
"The Sydney FC fans played a massive part in convincing Dwight to join us. The response he received from the Sydney public over the two days he was there made a big, big difference."
Yorke will not be available for the Club World Championship qualifiers next month but will link up with Sydney FC in June when his current deal with Blackburn expires.
"We were competing with a rival club from the UAE for Dwight - and a late offer also came in from Qatar," Bugno added. "But the thought of playing for Sydney FC after the reception he received really swung it for us - and we're delighted."
Yorke is the seventh highest goalscorer in the English Premier League, scoring 122 goals in 348 matches in one of the most exciting leagues in world football. The only players to score more goals in the premiership are Alan Shearer, Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler, Les Ferdinand, Teddy Sheringham and Thierry Henry.
The Trinidad and Tobago striker played for Aston Villa, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Birmingham City but it was his three seasons at Manchester United that made him a household name all over the world.
During Manchester United’s historic treble in 1999 he was the Premier League’s leading goalscorer with 18 strikes as Manchester United won the European Champions League with a memorable 2-1 win over Bayern Munich in the final.
“People dream about playing in the Premier League and playing Champions League and Dwight Yorke has not only played in both but he has won both of them,” Bugno said.
Meanwhile, debonair Dwight Yorke has devised a multi-million-dollar hit list of luxury items as the superstar prepares to rock the A-League with a lifestyle to match the glamour image of the club he is joining.
The fun-loving Yorke, 33, will arrive in Australia next month as Sydney FC’s star recruit in a two-year deal worth a rumoured US $1.1million a season.
And The Sunday Telegraph can now reveal the big-ticket items that lured the former Manchester United magician to Australia.
Yorke, one of Britain’s best-known playboys, will fork out up to $220,000 to zip around town in a Porsche 911.
He will live in a waterfront apartment with a price tag of $1.25m at ritzy Elizabeth Bay, and request a range of high-fashion clothing items such as Armani suits.
To sate his penchant for the dance floor, Yorke will seek complimentary membership to the most exclusive bars in Sydney, including his favourite haunt, Hugo’s Lounge, at Kings Cross. But despite Yorke’s extravagant off-field tastes, a close associate who divulged the hit list insists the Trinidad and Tobago striker is serious about succeeding with Sydney FC.
“Dwight has fine tastes and enjoys a good time but he is not here for a holiday,” said the associate, who asked not to be named.
“I know there are critics of Dwight who are questioning his level of commitment, but I can assure you he wants to do well for Sydney.
“He’s in wonderful shape at the moment. Dwight is a laid back character but he never lets himself go.” he said.

Dwight has achieved the following honours:

• Top-scorer for Blackburn Rovers in 2002/2003
• First non-English player to score 100 goals in the Premiership
• English Premier League winner's medal with Manchester United in 2000/2001
• English Premier League winner's medal with Manchester United in 1999/2000
• Top-scorer for Manchester United in 1999/2000
• 10th place in FIFA's World Player of the Year ranking in 1999
• Intercontinental Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1999
• Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal Gold (for Sport) in 1999
• English Premier League winner's medal with Manchester United in 1998/1999
• English FA Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1998/1999
• European Cup winner's medal with Manchester United in 1998/1999
• Carling Player of the Year in 1998/1999
• English Premier League Golden Boot Award (18 goals) in 1998/1999
• Runner-up PFA Player of the Year in 1998/1999
• Voted to the PFA Team of the Year in 1998/1999
• Aston Villa's Player of the Year in 1996/1997
• Top-scorer for Aston Villa in 1996/1997
• Carling Player of the Month (for February) with Aston Villa in 1996
• Top-scorer for Aston Villa in 1995/1996
• League Cup winner's medal with Aston Villa in 1995/1996
• Aston Villa's Player of the Year in 1995/1996
• Top-scorer for Aston Villa in 1994/1995
• Trinidad & Tobago Humming Bird Medal Silver (for Sport) in 1993

Dwight Yorke 'seriously considering' Sydney move.

By Tom Adams (Sky Sports News).
05-Apr-2005 - Birmingham striker Dwight Yorke has travelled to Australia to hold talks with Sydney FC in an attempt to resolve his future. Dwight Yorke has been offered US $617,000 a year by the Australian A-League club, but will consider an offer from a club in oil-rich Dubai before making a decision on where he will play his trade next.
The former Manchester United man will also journey to the Middle East in a bid to secure a move away from St Andrews, although Sydney appear to be favourites to land the striker.
Yorke has made just four starts since joining Steve Bruce's side in the summer, and has now flown across the world to assess the merits of a move to the A-League side.
Sydney coach Pierre Littbarski is keen to sign the 33-year-old Trinidad & Tobago international, and Yorke will mull over his options in the near future.
"It's something I would definitely consider, I wouldn't waste my time if there wasn't an offer on the table," Yorke told Sky Sports News. "There is an offer on the table, we came here to see what the offer is all about and we're taking it very seriously; that's why I am here.
"We are planning to go to United Arab Emirates as well, and if I'm totally honest there are some offers there as well. "But Sydney have put their money where their mouth is and we are here to sum up the whole thing.
"We won't waste anyone's time and we'll make a decision in the near future."
Yorke also held out hope that disgraced former Chelsea man Mark Bosnich would make the move Down Under, after the keeper signalled an intention to resurrect his career.
The Australian international and Yorke became friends after a spell at Aston Villa together, although Bosnich has been out of the game since being sacked by Chelsea for cocaine abuse in 2003.
"We have a history together as friends and of course I'm sure the Australian people would welcome him back to football," Yorke continued.
"He's been through a difficult time but if the opportunity is there for him I'm sure he will want to come back to where he belongs."
Sydney CEO Andy Harper: "At the moment, it's a possibility and we are keen to have face-to-face discussions," said Harper. We've been waiting for a few months but our patience isn't exhausted."
Despite starting just four English premier league games this term, Yorke, 33, has several offers from the cash-rich United Arab Emirates and the English First Division boosted by career stats that has brought him over 130 goals in 15 seasons.
Littbarski remains cautious on the prospect of landing Yorke despite his apparent willingness to fly to Sydney this week. Yorke has stated his admiration of the Sydney lifestyle but Littbarski says money won't be the only item on the agenda.
Littbarski hopes to have an answer before the club leaves for its pre-season tour of Dubai on Thursday and finalise a squad with 19 places filled on his 20-man roster.
Sydney face Al Wahira, Dubai Cultural and Al Jazira Sports between April 11-18 in preparation for their opening World club championship qualifier against Queensland in early May.

Two girls in Dwight Yorke car crash tell their story.

By: Irene Medina News Editor - T&T Express.
17-Feb-2005 - Accident victims consider lawsuit against Yorke.
The two young women who were allegedly hit by a car driven by Trinidad and Tobago football star Dwight Yorke are considering legal action, the Express has learnt.
Marsha Alexander, 19, of Sutton Street, San Fernando and her friend Kizzie Martin, 25, of Malabar, Arima, claimed yesterday they were injured in the Pigeon Point, Tobago accident last Saturday morning.
Crown Point police yesterday confirmed that they had reported the accident.
The two women are working on the island as dealers at the Royalton Casino at the Crown Point Hotel.
In a telephone interview from Canaan, Tobago, yesterday, Alexander said she and some friends were at Pigeon Point sitting on a bench at 6.30 that morning, "when the car just run into everybody."
"All of us were liming on the bench like normal. My friend (Kizzie) was standing and in two twos this car just run into everybody on the bench.
"We (Kizzie and I) ended up getting hit. We fell to the ground. My friend's head was almost under the wheel but the tyre scraped me on my foot."
She said the driver, whom she later found out was Yorke, stopped and came out of the car.
"He pulled aside and spoke with us," she said.
Alexander denied that she and her injured friend received any money from the internationally acclaimed footballer.
She said she made her own way to the Scarborough General Hospital, a short time later, while Kizzie was driven there by a friend.
After speaking with them, she said Yorke drove off. The Tobago-born Yorke was believed to have been returning to his Plantation Villa after attending the Caribbean Wet Fete at the Pigeon Point Beach Resort.
Both women had x-rays taken and were given pain killers for their injuries. Marsha has not yet filled her prescription. She said she got a bruise to her left ankle and claimed that it had been bandaged. But when the Express photographer visited the girls yesterday shortly after this interview, he said he saw no evidence of a bandage. Marsha said that there were several other people in Yorke's car, including two women, when it slammed into them.
Martin claims she was the worst hit.
"The car actually hit me off the bench and I was dragged a bit. I got a big graze on my right foot and my thigh is bruised." She said she was given four days sick leave and is on pain-killers.
She was adamant that Yorke did not pay her any money and admitted he was a bit sympathetic.
She said she was positive that Yorke was the driver of the car which she described as a B-13 with the number plate PBR 6069. Yesterday, five days after the accident, Kizzie said she was still in pain. Sgt Roberts of the Crown Police Police Station is investigating.

Dwight Yorke: Our journey’s still alive.

Issued By: Shaun Fuentes, TTFF Press Officer.
10-Feb-2005 - Returning Trinidad and Tobago player Dwight Yorke feels that once this country’s senior team can be a winning side if it can eradicate the problem of giving easy goals away.
This was the view of the Birmingham City striker shortly after this country’s went down 2-1 to the United States in Wednesday’s 2006 World Cup qualifying match at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Yorke also felt that the team showed evidence of maturity with their second half showing as they didn’t hang their heads after going a second goal down. Yorke himself turned in a workmanlike performance on the day.
“That’s a sign of maturity in the guys and it shows that the team has come on in leaps and bounds and once we can continue to show that sort of commitment then that would be great for us in the future. In a way by going down to the wire as we did today means that we’ll always have a fighting chance no matter how big the task may be,” Yorke told TTFF Media as he cooled down in the dressing room shortly after the team got a surprise visit from President Maxwell Richards, Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Sports Minister Roger Boynes.
But the former Manchester United man still felt there is work to be done to turn the “Warriors” into a winning side.
“We need cut out conceding stupid goals because Trinidad and Tobago will always score goals….we’ll always create chances. We keep conceding goals early and if you go to anywhere at a high level of football and you talk to the top people, whether it be in England or wherever, they either tell you or you see for yourself that you cannot concede early goals. The game is so tight in those stages that you cannot afford to give ridiculous goals away. If we can eradicate that and make use of the chance we have, then I will say we would have a good as chance as any to get the results we all want,”
With Costa Rica losing at home to Mexico and Panama and Guatemala sharing points, Yorke also wants the public to keep supporting the team which he feels is still in with a solid chance of making the top three out of the six teams.
“Despite us losing the game, it’s still far from the end of the journey as we’ve got nine games to go and things can change quickly. Against the Americans even when it seemed that we couldn’t win, you thought we could have at least gotten a draw but it was not to be on the day. At the same time though, there were some things that went on which should auger well for the rest of the campaign,” Yorke added.
Having spent the entire weekend up until the day of the game with the team in camp at the Grafton Beach Resort, there were still rumours of Yorke being out of camp but the ex-Aston Villa man said he was concerned only with the “Journey to Germany” at this time.
“The public has their perception of me and that’s fine, it doesn’t bother me. My shoulders have been broad all my life and whatever people choose to say, that’s their opinion, What’s important is what I do out there on the football pitch and once I can make a contribution I will continue to go that. What’s going on here with this current team is most important and I’m here for the long haul,” Yorke ended.
The ex-Aston Villa player also mentioned that he’s heading back to Birmingham City to continue his playing, saying there was not much to say on reports of a move to Australia.

Soca Warriors welcome Dwight Yorke.

T&T Express Reports.
06-Feb-2005 - Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke had his first session with the rest of the Trinidad and Tobago team since his reintroduction to the national squad for Wednesday's 2006 World Cup qualifier against the United States as coach Bertille St Clair conducted yesterday's proceedings at Shaw Park, Tobago on a cool Saturday afternoon.
Yorke, who arrived from London on Friday night, travelled with the team yesterday morning and checked in with his teammates at Grafton Beach Resort.
He is expected to play in today's friendly against Haiti at Shaw Park, scheduled for a 3.30 p.m. kickoff.
Also joining the T&T team in the sister isle today will be Southampton striker Kenwyne Jones, Crewe Alexandra goalkeeper Clayton Ince, Glasgow Rangers defender Marvin Andrews and Wrexham midfielder Carlos Edwards.
Yorke was involved throughout the session, at times taking charge from the front, openly advising some of the players and also assuring that he himself was adjusting to the conditions.
His last training session with the team was ahead of the friendly against Northern Ireland last year, but he had not trained in an official capacity since June 2001.
Team captain Angus Eve said the current bunch of players would be open to having the former Manchester United star back in the line-up.
"Dwight has had long experience as a national player and we go way back to 1991 when we were both on the team which qualified for the Youth World Cup under coach St Clair. That alone speaks for itself and I am pretty sure that the rest of the team will ensure that he fits in again, even though we know it's been a long time since he has been with us.
"The spirit among the players in the team has never been something to question and it's basically a matter of us meshing as a team and getting it together on the pitch, which I feel confident that we can do," Eve told Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (T&TFF) media officer Shaun Fuentes after training yesterday.
Striker Stern John was also keen to work alongside Yorke and the other players.
"We have played before and now to have him back is something that the guys here would no doubt be looking forward to because we all hope he can add to the team and we ourselves must now pick our game up and compliment each other," said the Coventry City player.
"But also we need to work and get it right as a team and no one player must be depended on to carry the weight," John added.
And locally-based pro Densill Theobald offered similar sentiments to his teammates.
"For me, it's a real pleasure to be working with Dwight and I am certain myself and the other guys who may not have played much with him before can pick up certain things from him that can benefit the team on a whole and we too will be working to ensure that our game is at a decent level."
No doubt Yorke would welcome such words from his once again teammates.
"It was a decision that I took to come back and join the team again and I'm definitely looking forward to continue working with these guys, because it's a promising bunch and, as I said, I am here to make a contribution because I honestly feel the team has places to go and Germany in 2006 is where we are aiming to reach," said Yorke.

Ex-players’ head welcomes back Yorke and Nakhid.

By: Gregory Trujillo - T&T Guardian.
06-Feb-2005 - “It is wonderful to read in the papers that Jack Warner and the management off the T&TFF has forgiven Dwight Yorke and allowed him to return to the national team.”
These were the words of Earl “Mango” Pierre, former president of the T&T Players Association in the United States, upon hearing that Dwight Yorke will be in the T&T team for the first World Cup match against the United States on Wednesday at Queen’s Park Oval.
Speaking yesterday to G-Sports Pierre said: “Personally I dont think he will make a difference on the team because he is not playing to the level he once played and the only reason he played to that level for Manchester United was because of the talent he had around him, to name a few, Andy Cole, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Roy Keane.
“If you look at his game now he’s not playing to the level he once played. He cannot even make the starting team in Birmingham.
“If Jack Warner can bury the hachet there is one piece to the puzzle that is missing and that is Russell Latapy, who is still one of the best playmakers on the team.
“With Yorke, Nakhid, and Latapy we can look like a team once more.
“Another point I want to make is that the only way we can beat the Americans is that we have to play them like how the Mexicans play against them—we have to always out skill them if we want to be victorious.
“The last point I would like to make is that the statement that Mr Warner made about this time around is the best chance for us to qualify for the World Cup.
“I think our adviser has a short memory. The best chance we had and would ever have is back in 1989, when we had to sell out to the Americans in order for them to have their World Cup in 1994.”