Reno seeking top-class strikers

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Wendell Downswell, coach of Digicel Premier League team Reno, said they are now seeking to recruit two top-class strikers ahead of this year's competition, which is slated to begin in late August.

Downswell told The Gleaner that his club would also be looking to add three other attacking players to their line-up.

"We will definitely be recruiting, but this won't be a wholesale recruiting process because we need about five players," said Downswell, the former national football coach and technical director.

"As you know, we have a number of players that played in the Premier League a couple of seasons ago and they are very vastly experienced, and we would be looking to them to help us during our campaign," he said.

Downswell added: "We definitely know that we need two strikers and an attacking playmaker who can also score some goals for us, and another goalkeeper with some experience, and also another high-quality defender to marshall our back line."

Sponsorship crucial

He said that sponsorship from the Westmoreland community and corporate Jamaica would also play a big part in helping the team to remain in the Premier League next season.

"I think that sponsorship would play a significant role if we are going to stay in the Premier League. Our administrative body has been working very hard to secure the necessary funds for us because this is going to be a very significant part of our ambitions," Downswell said.

The Westmoreland-based Reno, winners of the Western Confederation Super League, secured their return to the Premier League after topping the Jamaica Football Federation Confederation play-offs.

They were demoted from the competition in the previous season.

Benfica, winners of the Eastern Confederation, finished runners-up to Reno in the play-offs and clinched the other spot to the Premier League.

Downswell said that their pre-season training is set to begin in a few weeks' time and they would be taking this very seriously because that would form a big part of their preparation.

"I believe that our pre-season preparation is also going to be very important for us because if we have a good pre-season, then we should be able to start the competition on the right footing, as every game in the Premier League is very important to us," Downswell reasoned.