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T&T U-20 training in CyprusFormer national captain Clayton Morris is calling for the trio of Nicholas Walker, Jevon Morris and Trent Lougheed to travel to Egypt to experience the Under-20 World Cup.

Walker and Morris of St Ann’s Rangers and Lougheed of United Petrotrin were cut from the national Under-20 squad by coach Zoran Vranes last week and immediately sent home from the warm-up matches in Turkey.

“We keep building these young stars and breaking them down, which makes it very hard for them to get back into the mix when recalled for training with the team,” noted Morris. “Their self-confidence and self-esteem will be at its lowest.”

“I think in the case of Walker, Morris and Lougheed they should at least be given the opportunity to travel to experience the World Cup,” stated Morris. “It will not only benefit them as young players but T&T in the future.”

“I’m saying this with all assurance because I got injured while playing for T&T Under-19 team and was dropped. As the team travelled to the Concacaf Championships in Dallas, Texas, I felt like my entire life and dreams were over but thanks to Don Procope for his vision and for confronting the powers, I was on the next available flight out to meet the team.”

Morris became a fixture on the T&T senior team two years later. He was appointed captain for five years, including leader of the 1989 Strike Squad.
Morris said he was told that after Walker, Morris and Lougheed were cut from the squad, their casual wear, track suits and travel bags were retrieved and they had to return home all by themselves.

“This is something I thought would never happen again as we had a similar situation when the senior team travelled to Argentina earlier this year for a three-week camp with a young bunch of local players” said Morris. “But after the camp, eight of these guys were sent home as the other eleven players and coach Latapy went on to meet our foreign based players for the first game in the final round World Cup qualifier in El Salvador.”

Morris is hoping that his plea does not go unnoticed.