“WHAT inspired me is that I wasn’t getting much attention from Canada and I wasn’t going to wait forever for them (Canada),” explained former Toronto FC player Emery Welshman in an interview with Chronicle Sport yesterday when asked why he chose to play for the birthplace of his parents. 

The 23-year-old forward arrived in Guyana last week and is encamped with the Golden Jaguars as they prepare to face Barbados on February 1.
Born to Guyanese parents, Sherwyn and Margaret Welshman, who migrated to Canada 27 years ago, Emery is the youngest of three children. He has been playing the sport since age five. He spent three seasons with Erin Mills Soccer Club and six years with Brampton East before joining the Sigma Elite Training Centre programme.
A 2009 graduate of Loyola Catholic Secondary School, where he was the team’s Most Valuable Player in his junior and senior seasons and the Student Athlete-of-the-Year in his final year,
Welshman split the last four years at Siena College and Oregon State University and was drafted 16th overall in the 2013 MLS Super Draft by Toronto FC on January 17, 2013. He made his debut for Toronto as a second half sub for Robert Earnshaw on March 2, 2013 in a 1-0 away defeat to Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The former NCAA standout has since moved back to Sigma FC, who plays in League 1 Ontario and made his debut for the team against Durham United FC on June 1, 2014.
The Canadian explained to this newspaper that “my father said that it would be a good opportunity to represent Guyana and help the country out because he said that they will need a lot of help from people like myself, playing professionally and stuff, and it came down to me talking to a lot of people, basing my decision on playing for a country that’s needed me more than I needed them. I don’t need to depend on somebody to call me. I would be here whenever they want me and that sort of things.”
This is Welshman’s maiden trip to Guyana and pointed out that he didn’t expect much, since “for the most part it’s what I expected because I didn’t expect too much with regard to facilities or money, I just know that there would be a bunch of guys here coming to work hard to make the team.”
Having played in the Major League Soccer (MLS); North America’s most prestigious professional football league, Welshman opined when asked to make a comparison with regard to talent, that “athletically, I think these players are just as good as the players over in North America, technically not as good and maybe tactically not the same but still a work in progress here.:
Meanwhile, head coach of the Golden Jaguars Jamaal Shabazz said that the Canadian has brought with him a high degree of professionalism and an attitude that’s more than welcoming to the coaching staff.
Shabazz said that often players coming from a professional environment to a National team for the first time find it hard to adjust but with Welshman, it’s the opposite since the player is highly disciplined and respectful.
Talent-wise, Shabazz noted that Welshman is an exceptional forward, plays excellently with his back to the defenders and has a sensational burst of speed which he’s able to use wisely and is very skilful with the ball – something they truly admire and will be an asset to Guyana’s football in future.

(By Rawle Toney)