Photo: Brandon Silvera
Brandon Silvera knows what it feels like to win the Manning Cup. He was part of the Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell coached, St.George’s College winning team in 2008. He also captained the U-14 and U-16 teams. A career goal keeper, he started in the position at an early age at Vaz Prep and this was no surprise to anyone who knew him, as he was simply following in the footsteps of his father.
Photo: Brandon Silvera
Brandon Silvera knows what it feels like to win the Manning Cup. He was part of the Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell coached, St.George’s College winning team in 2008. He also captained the U-14 and U-16 teams. A career goal keeper, he started in the position at an early age at Vaz Prep and this was no surprise to anyone who knew him, as he was simply following in the footsteps of his father.
Silvera’s father Errol, played in goal for Meadowbrook High School and also for Meadhaven football club as a youngster. The first present Brandon ever got from his father was a ball, neatly tucked into the corner of his crib before he could even appreciate what it was.
A student and fan of the game Silvera has two goalkeepers that he looks up to. The first is the great German goalkeeper Oliver Khan, who was certainly one of the best of his generation.
“I always loved to watch Oliver Khan because of his aggression and his ability to pull off great saves. His performance in the 2006 World Cup competition still stands out in my mind,” Silvera said.
“My other hero is Richard ‘Spoon’ McCallum who I had the pleasure of training with during my stint at Waterhouse. McCallum’s keeping technique is superb and his distribution is top drawer. I try my best to be like Sonny Spoon,” he said, his words filled with admiration for the Jamaican international.
“He motivated me a lot when I was at the club. I remember how he treated me after a loss in a Jackie Bell Knock Out match last year. We played Whitfield Town and I make a big mistake that cost us the first leg, we lost 2-1. I was so disappointed with myself that I said I was going to quit the sport.
“Spoon encouraged me to keep going, he told me not to let that one mistake phase me. He said that as a keeper you must make mistakes and that is how you gain experience . When he said that I should hold my head up because I am a quality keeper and I should not let that one mistake pull me down, it provided me with all the motivation I needed to keep going. I am certain I will never think of quitting the game again. I will stop playing when I am too old to continue, but not before then,” he said with real determination in his voice.
The 20 year old is now a student of the GC Foster College and has had two call-ups to the national set-up. His first call came in 2008 for the under-17 squad but he failed to make the final cut to Trinidad. His second call was for the under-20 squad in 2012 but again he failed to make the final 23.
“I missed out twice before but I know that I have a lot to offer my country, so I will keep working hard until someone notices me again. I am a part of the GC Foster team and I am looking to make something happen here while I am pursuing my degree in Physical Education,” he explained.
“My love for sports brought me to “GC” and I see myself as a journalist one day. Eventually I would like to be a part of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) so that I can serve in an administrative capacity as well. I really want to see Jamaica’s football grow and become something special.”
For now, the main aim for this ambitious young keeper is to claim the starting position at GC Foster College and then wait on his phone to ring once more.
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