🇧🇧 - A champion in Israel, Nick Blackman looks to make history for Barbados
🇧🇧 - A champion in Israel, Nick Blackman looks to make history for Barbados
Blackman is committed to getting Barbados to the Gold Cup, and Russell Latapy couldn't be happier to have him involved.
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Everyone has taken their lumps in 2020, and Nick Blackman is no exception.
The former Reading and Derby County forward started the 2019-20 season strong with Maccabi Tel Aviv, scoring in UEFA Champions League qualification and the Europa League but took a knock in international duty and found it tough to get his starting spot back until the end of a season that saw Maccabi win the title with just one loss - which came in the final game of the season.
“The guys were winning every week, and toward the back end of the season I managed to get back in there,” Blackman said last week from Tel Aviv. “It’s been great since then. Obviously, we clinched the title - with a little blip in the last game of the season - but I’m not sure too many people are going to remember that.”
International duty was a new experience for Blackman. While he has spent summers in Barbados for nearly a decade, he was yet to suit up for a senior national team despite being eligible for five. Born in England, Blackman’s father is from Barbados, he has grandparents on his mother’s side are from Poland and the Netherlands and he’s an Israeli citizen thanks to his Jewish heritage.
He’d been in touch with administrators in Barbados, but when former Trinidad and Tobago great Russell Latapy was named manager, he felt the time was right to make the commitment.
“I could see they were going in the right direction, and I really thought it was something I could definitely be a part of now,” Blackman said. “Being 30 I think I’m at a great age to offer a bit of experience that I’ve come through in my career and to help push the country on to further things. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I felt now was the right time to do it. That’s why I really jumped at it.”
Nick Blackman’s video blog on his up-and-down 2020 thus far
Aside from the injury, things went well for Blackman and Barbados, with the veteran scoring three goals in five Concacaf Nations League matches. The Tridents won four matches and lost two in the tournament, winning its League C group on goal difference and earning promotion to League B.
Latapy said he’s pleased with the early results of the project, but it may not grow without players like Blackman with professional experience.
Blackman and Swindon Town forward Hallam Hope are some of the only pros in the Barbados setup, but Latapy said they set an example that shows domestic-based squad members the things they need to do to reach the next level.
“One of our biggest issues here is not the ability of the players, it’s the mentality of the player. Nick is really important for us in changing that mentality. He always shows up for training or the team meetings first, he’s always there on time,” he said. “In terms of his on the field, there is no comparison to him.
“He scores goals and works hard for the team, but I think most importantly for me, what we’re trying to develop in terms of the spirt and professional attitude and so forth, Nick is definitely one of the leaders or the top professional in my team.”
Blackman does more behind the scenes as well, Latapy said, getting involved in initiatives put on by Concacaf through the NextPlay program or waking up early to visit with academies while he’s in town over the summer.
Those small sacrifices could lead to even bigger things in the future on an island that has produced far more top-level cricketers than soccer players.
“A lot of these young men at an early age they get into cricket because it is a way out for them,” the manager said. “Now, what will happen with the Nations League and the publicity of that and football, is we’re getting a lot of younger players interested.
“What we have now is that we still have a lot of kids playing cricket but some of these same kids who are playing cricket also are coming to play football. And you find that some of them are really talented kids, and if you find the right structure to help develop them, you can find yourself with some really useful players.”
Latapy said he’ll call in Blackman for as long as he wants to keep suiting up, but the former Trinidad and Tobago great also holds out hope he’ll transition into a post-playing career that leads to coaching on the island and continuing to help grow the sport.
As Concacaf continues to work out how it will put on matches during a pandemic, Blackman’s focus is on the domestic game. But when international matches resume, one of the first games should be a two-legged playoff against Guyana with the winner then facing Trinidad and Tobago for a chance to qualify for the Gold Cup.
“I think if we can reach this Gold Cup, it would be fantastic for the island because there is so much talent there, and it needs the exposure and needs some guys to come off the island and potentially forge a career in Europe for themselves,” he said.
Now firmly committed to representing Barbados, Blackman’s career will continue to show the way for the country’s future soccer talents.
There could’ve been another
As you read above, Barbados is moving in the right direction as it looks to grow the sport, but there was one more Europe-based player who Latapy nearly brought into the fold.
Blackman appeared at Concacaf’s NextPlay event in June 2019 with current Aston Villa center back Tyrone Mings.
Photo via Nick Blackman on Facebook
Mings’ grandparents are from Barbados, and he was reportedly considering representing the national team under Latapy. But in August, he got his first call-up from England, eventually making his debut for the Three Lions in an October 2019 away win over Bulgaria (a game marred by Mings being the victim of racist chanting ).
Latapy said explaining the reality of playing in Concacaf to potential players is important to him, since he too faced some of the pitfalls that can go with being a Caribbean international playing club soccer in Europe.
“Firstly, we make sure that players understand fully what are we trying to develop and what they’re getting into. That kind of solves the issue with some of the players, like for example Tyrone,” Latapy told me this week. “He was here, ready to play for us, and then he got called for England.
“That was the right decision for Tyrone, I believe. In terms of world football, if you can represent Barbados or England, then you definitely have to go to England. It was definitely sour for us because we lost a player who was vital in the way we wanted to do things, but on the other hand we’re happy because it was fantastic for Tyrone that he wanted to represent us but had the chance to represent England.”
In a region like Concacaf, having such a strong defensive player who also is good on the ball could absolutely have tipped the balance, but as much as I’d love to cover him in this region, even I have to admit that Mings probably made the correct call.
Excellent stuff, as always!
Just one quick correction: the winner of the Barbados/Guyana series will still have to go through Trinidad and Tobago to qualify for the Gold Cup.