STRIKER WALTER Boyd left the island yesterday for the United States in a bid to re-establish himself on the North American professional football scene.
He is due to have a trial with US A League team Charleston Battery.
If Boyd is successful it will be his second stint in the A Leagues. In 1992 -1996 he starred for the Colorado Foxes team and even led them to the title twice.
His stint with the Foxes ended in 1996 when he opted out of his contract to commit himself fully to Jamaica's historic World Cup qualifying campaign for the 1998 World Cup in France. The 32-year-old Boyd, who established himself as a star in the national team since the age of 19 when he played a crucial part in Jamaica's 1991 Shell Caribbean Cup victory, has been playing locally for Arnett Gardens since the end of a two-year contract with British club Swansea City.
Boyd, a gifted attacking player fondly referred to as 'Blacka Pearl', has had close to 70 caps for Jamaica and has scored more than 30 goals. He formed a dangerous strike partnership with Onandi Lowe and was joint leading scorer during Jamaica's successful Road to France World Cup campaign.
At Charleston Battery Boyd should feel at home as there are already four Caribbean players in Jamaicans Wolde Harris and Gregory Simmonds, as well as Nigel Henry from Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines' Ezra Hendrickson.
The Battery could use the skills of Boyd who is known as much for his scoring as his creative ability. They currently lie sixth in the nine-team Eastern Conference with nine points from nine games. Montreal Impact lead the conference with 19 points from nine games.
- Nodley Wright
