Harry Twite named captain for Concacaf Under-20 Championship Qualifier
Harry Twite says it is an honour to be named Bermuda captain for the Concacaf Under-20 Championship Qualifier in St Kitts & Nevis.
The 18-year-old King’s Lynn central defender has been handed the armband ahead of the team’s group F opener against Grenada at the SKNFA Technical Centre in Basseterre on Saturday.
“It’s a big honour, the biggest honour I think in football for your country,” Twite told The Royal Gazette. “I knew it was between a couple of us senior players.
“I’m at the more experienced end of the group, but it still was a surprise being named out of all the talented and experienced players in the group.”
Twite is equally as excited to play for his country again on the international scene, an experience he feels every Bermudian player should strive to achieve.
“It should be something that Bermudian footballers aspire to do,” he added. “Obviously with this group there’s been a couple of players based in the United States that have come over, so you don’t have to be on the island to put yourself forward.
“There’s opportunities for everyone and this should be something that everyone aspires to do.”
Martinique and Jamaica are the remaining teams in the group, which will see the eventual winner at the end of the round-robin competition clinch the sole qualifying spot on offer.
It is a feat that Twite believes the team are capable of achieving as the island bid to qualify for a second Concacaf Under-20 Championship appearance and first since 2017.
“It’s manageable, it’s definitely manageable,” he said.
“We haven’t been looking at any other teams, but we don’t need to worry about them, they should be worrying about us. “We’ve got exceptional players and I think if everyone is switched on and got their mind on the task we will be able to do it. I am fully confident of that.
“Three games in six days is going to take a lot from everyone, but I am excited.”
Having already made his debut for the senior national team during the previous Concacaf Nations League campaign, Twite intends to capitalise on the valuable knowledge and experience he gained during the tournament.
“It’s [senior experience] not so much confidence, but it just enables me to understand what’s going to happen in certain situations, which is key,” he added. “I would say everyone should be confident coming in, there’s so many good players in this age group specifically.
“It helps to be confident but playing in the senior team has just helped me gain experience and so if I was younger and something would happen and I wouldn’t know what to do.
“Now I know what to do, so it’s also helped me with my communication, my physicality.
“The men’s game is more physical, so it’s just helped me with that, and hopefully all of those things will benefit me and help Bermuda to top the group in this campaign.”
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