Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Digicel head of corporate affairs, Yvonne Wilks (left); national technical director René Simoes (second left), president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, and coach of the Digicel Kick Start football clinics, John Barnes (right), converse at the launch of the series' final leg at the Courtleigh Hotel yesterday. - Peta-Gaye Clachar/Staff Photographer

THE FINAL leg of the six-week Digicel Kick Start football clinics, led by Jamaica-born former Liverpool and England great John Barnes, will kick off at the Barbican football field at 9:00 a.m. today.

The series of camps, which was launched in Guyana almost two months ago and has since been to Suriname, Barbados, Haiti, Antigua, St Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago, is the latest initiative of the telecommunications company and will conclude with six Under-20 players being selected for a week-long training course with English Premier League club Sunderland.

Barnes has been impressed with the talent so far and expects more of the same in the local four-day, final leg.

"I have seen a lot of talent so far but coming from the Caribbean that is not a surprise and I expected to see that," Barnes explained at a press conference at the Courtleigh Hotel yesterday.

"I have told all the players, though, that it is not just enough to have skill but other elements like hard work, dedication and discipline. That's what I will be looking for," he said.

While in Jamaica, Barnes will coach a select Under-20 national squad, assisted by former national player Theodore Whitmore. Whitmore will be joined by fellow national assistants Lenworth Hyde of Premier League club Harbour View and Donovan Duckie of St Georges. President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Captain Horace Burrell, praised Digicel for its continued involvement in the sport.

"It's a marvellous initiative and I must commend Digicel for their foresight in launching this programme, by all accounts it has been a great success so far," Burrell said.

"We offer our full support for the programme and hope for a continued high level of success," Burrell said.

On Saturday's final day of the camp, the Under-20 team will take on a select Seba squad. At the conclusion of the camp, Barnes will select the best six player he has seen.

Digicel is also sponsor of the national team and the Caribbean Cup.

National Under-20 select squad: Dennis Taylor - Reno, Andre Blake - Harbour View, Damaine Thompson - Bamboo, Sean Fogan - Portmore United, Brenton Griffiths - Portmore United, Ateba Morgan - Harbour View, Adrian Christian - Harbour View, Christopher Banner - Sporting Central, Donald Young - Barbican, Jahntel James - Meadhaven, Peter Beckford - Meadhaven, Mikhail Weatherly - Mount Salem, Keneil Hyde - Meadhaven, Akeem Brown - Meadhaven, Romario Campbell - Harbour View,

Andre Steele - Harbour View, Yannick Salmon - University of Maryland, Christopher Waugh -Meadhaven, Alanzo Adlam - Cavalier, Shavon Brown - Portmore, Ramone Palmer - Meadhaven, Kabari Palmer - Meadhaven.