Canada-based midfielder Andre Rampersad says his maiden call-up to international duty for Trinidad and Tobago was a “great feeling”, and marked the fulfillment of a childhood dream to represent his country.
The 28-year-old, who captains Halifax Wanderers in the Canadian Premier League, was named in a 24-man squad for CONCACAF Nations League B matches against the Bahamas on Friday and Nicaragua next Monday.
And Rampersad believes national duty will help to further improve his overall game, especially coming into contact with teammates from other leagues around the world.
“One of the dreams as a kid playing soccer is representing the country. To finally see all the hard work that I’ve put in come into play now, it’s definitely a great feeling for me,” Rampersad told the League website.
“[I’m] definitely excited to represent the red, white and black. Circumstances made it what it was before, why I wasn’t able to go, but now I’m excited and I’m up for the challenge.
“When you join a national team, the majority of the guys there play in different leagues. [There are] certain guys you probably don’t know, certain guys that play in higher leagues.
“One is (Kevin) Molino, he plays in MLS, a player that I looked up to for a long time. Just being around these guys will raise my level.”
The 32-year-old Molino will, however, miss the two Nation League matches through injury.
Rampersad moved to the Canada Premier League in 2019, signing with Halifax and was then under the management of former Trinidad and Tobago national head coach, Stephen Hart.
He was made club captain the following season and has gone on to make nearly 90 appearances for the Nova Scotia outfit.
Andre Rampersad was called up to train with T&T in 2021 but pandemic travel restrictions prevented the move. He is now looking forward to linking up with head coach Angus Eve.
“[Eve] tried a lot before to get me in. The assistant coach Derek King is there as well, who was my coach back in the day, and then was the assistant with the Halifax Wanderers,” Rampersad explained.
“The conversation we had was just straight up: ‘we want you here and you can be a big part of what we’re trying to develop and what we’re trying to do’. They believe in me, to be there and show my potential.”
Rampersad said he had received the strong backing of his club, with sporting director Matt Fegan playing an integral role in the process.
“He said, ‘you know what? This is a great opportunity for you and we’re gonna let you go’,” Rampersad related. “He had a word in that and talked to them for me, and there was the opportunity, so I took it.”
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