Saint Lucia National Men’s Team head coach Stern John has confirmed the selection of Wycombe Wanderers defender Chris Forino, to the St Lucia Men’s National Team as part of Forino’s commitment to his international future.
John, the former Birmingham City, Sunderland and Southampton striker said, he had been tracking Forino for several months.
Forino was added to the squad, following the recruitment of Charlton Athletic defender, Terell Thomas, who joined the St. Lucia squad this June, to help the team secure promotion to CONCACAF Nations League B and a spot in the Gold Cup preliminaries. Saint Lucia is also looking to build upon their recent success against a professional European- based team, in which the home team earned a win and draw in two friendly matches against San Marino, at the Daren Sammy Cricket Grounds [DSCG].
Said John: “We’ve been keen to strengthen the depth of the squad and to add players who can bring a different experience to the group. With a professional league on the verge of arriving in St Lucia, it is important for our developing homegrown players to learn from those playing in professional leagues overseas.”
John, who featured in the 2006 World Cup finals for Trinidad & Tobago, met with the 22-year-old after the Wanderers fixture at Charlton Athletic.
He added, “I knew that Chris was eligible to represent St Lucia and I had watched several videos of him in action, but I wanted to find out more about his character. Both my assistant coach Francis Lastic and myself came away from the meeting feeling that Chris can bring a lot more to the camp than just football.”
The 6’3” defender from Islington is a product of Brentford’s Academy and gave up a place at university to focus on his football career.
The head coach continued, “Chris is a very intelligent, grounded young man and I believe he will be a great role model. I also think that gaining international experience will enhance his domestic career and I expect to see him playing at a higher level in the future.”
Meanwhile, John will continue his search for experienced professionals playing overseas. He declared: “I already have a great group of players, but my goal is to add quality options in all positions.”
Saint Lucia has returned a perfect record with wins over Dominica and Anguilla. Currently John is preparing for the return fixtures with both countries in March.