By Neto Baptiste
Head coach of the Antigua and Barbuda senior men’s football team, Mikele Leigertwood, has shot down the notion that the country may be employing the services of too many overseas-based players at the international level.
Speaking recently on the Good Morning Jojo sports show in response to questions posed by callers regarding the numbers brought in form the UK for international appearances, Leigertwood said there is no bias towards overseas-based players and that the aim is always to gather the best possible teams.
“I firmly believe we want to try and get the best players and we try to pick the best players whether from here or overseas. It’s great that everybody has an opinion and that’s what makes football so diverse and so good and this is why you are going to challenge with questions but we firmly believe the players that we pick are the ones to go and do the job,” he said.
Leigertwood, a former player himself, also expressed satisfaction with what he has seen from the local contingent while commending his assistant for the work he has been doing on the ground.
“Anthony Ferguson has been over [in Antigua] coaching the local-based players over the last four month and obviously during the competition which he has been brilliant. He has been the eyes and ears over this period and he’s really engaged with the local-based players, he’s engaged with members of the ABFA and the local community as well so it’s not ideal that I am not there but I’ve got a trusted staff member in Anthony to be able to deliver the messages,” he said.
Antigua and Barbuda Benna Boys finished second from bottom in their League B, Group D campaign with just four points.
