UK-based players arrive to join U17 & U20 Training camp
TTFA Overseas Recruitment Drive Shifts Into Higher Gear with Arrival of UK-Based Players for Youth Residential Camps
The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has intensified its overseas recruitment drive as a group of UK-born and UK-based footballers have accepted invitations to travel to Trinidad to join the Under-17 and Under-20 Men’s National Team residential training camps.
The players, who are currently attached to professional and semi-professional clubs in England, arrived in Trinidad on Friday to train, live, and integrate with the local environment as part of the ongoing assessment process. The camps run until the end of December, with players remaining in Trinidad for the duration. These players along with a group from North America have already engaged in sessions under U-17 head coach Randolph Boyce and U-20 head coach Marvin Gordon.
This latest wave of recruitment follows the recent passing of the “grandparent law”, which has expanded eligibility pathways for players with ancestral links to Trinidad and Tobago.
While some of the invited players were already eligible to obtain Trinidad and Tobago passports due to their age, the updated legislation has further strengthened the Association’s ability to widen its talent pool globally.
The invited players from the UK who arrived on Friday include:
Archie Lovatt – Central Midfielder, Southampton FC
Tate Ormonde – Central Midfielder / Right Back, Brighton & Hove Albion FC
Jashaun Christmas – Central Midfielder, Crystal Palace FC
Kayden Bancey – Central Midfielder, Reading FC
Eden Ormonde – Central Midfielder, Welling United (Brighton FC pathway).
Archie Lovatt, Jashaun Christmas Tate Ormonde and Eden Ormonde.
They have joined home-based players and US-based players already in camp, all vying for selection to the final squads ahead of the 2025 CONCACAF Under-17 and Under-20 Men’s Qualifiers, scheduled for February and March.
Head of Overseas Recruitment Brent Sancho, who has been leading similar recruitment initiatives across the region, including with Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, highlighted the importance of early engagement and cultural immersion.
“This is about giving players a real opportunity to connect with Trinidad and Tobago,not just through football, but through living and training here,” Sancho said.
“We want them to understand the culture, the expectations, and what it truly means to represent the red, white and black. There is a strong pool of players overseas, and this is only the beginning.”
Currently there are also players with Chelsea, Fulham, Swansea, Lincoln City, Luton Town, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town also in talks with the TTFA to join either the U-17 or U-20 pool. Among them is Jamie Mauge of Ipswich Town, son of former Senior Team midfielder Ronnie Mauge.
TTFA President Kieron Edwards underscored the strategic value of the initiative and the importance of continued collaboration with government and key stakeholders.
“This overseas recruitment drive is not just about our youth teams — it is an investment in the entire football ecosystem of Trinidad and Tobago,” Edwards said.
“By identifying and integrating eligible players early, we are strengthening the pathway to our Senior Men’s National Team and, by extension, creating long-term benefits for our Women’s National Teams as well.”
Edwards also emphasized the role of institutional and governmental support in sustaining these efforts.
“Meaningful government assistance is critical in helping us create the infrastructure, logistics, and long-term planning required to compete at the highest level,” he added.
“When our youth programmes are properly supported, the impact is felt across all national teams and throughout the wider sporting landscape.”
Sancho further confirmed that additional overseas-based players remain under active consideration, as the TTFA continues to monitor and engage eligible talent across multiple territories.
The residential camps form part of the TTFA’s broader strategic vision to strengthen youth national teams, improve competitiveness at the regional level, and ensure that Trinidad and Tobago’s best eligible talent,both locally and abroad,are identified, assessed, and prepared well ahead of major international competitions.
