Mitchell among latest Club Sando signings

CLUB SANDO head coach Angus Eve has sent a stark warning to opponents with former TT Under-20 captain and Point Fortin Civic midfielder Jabari Mitchell among his latest reinforcements.

Mitchell, 21, and 19-year-old 1976 Phoenix FC’s Jabarry Francis, who were both acquired before the August 31 transfer deadline, are expected to beef up Sando’s engine room after the recent acquisition of 24-year-old ex-Civic and W Connection striker Shackeil “Smeck” Henry.

TT winger Tyrone Charles also made a late return to Sando from Central FC.

“We didn’t just add [players] for adding sake,” said Eve, who believes he is equipped with his best squad since taking over from Anthony Streete in 2016.

The Sando coach added that the new signings represent the club’s commitment to its philosophy in player development and competitiveness.

“We have continuously improved in the last two seasons, finishing fifth, then fourth – the last within a point of a third-place finish; and this season we would like to show further improvement,” Eve explained.

“We don’t have the budget or the resources of the some of the teams in the league, but we always seem to be among the top five.

“We have also seen Jared London, Akeem Humphrey and Josiah Trimmingham make the national team. Trimmingham played most of his young career elsewhere [San Juan Jabloteh] but we’ve added the bit of seasoning needed to be a national player.”

Shackeil, the younger brother of Sando shot-stopper Kelvin Henry, has already scored two goals in less than a handful of appearances for his new club, and Eve believes the former-Vietnam-based forward can improve under the guidance of assistant coach and 2006 World Cup forward Cornell Glen.

Mitchell, meanwhile, had reportedly secured his first overseas contract, a one-year agreement, with Albania top-flight team KS Kastrioti in June, but the ex-W Connection starlet was back home to reunite with Civic for the 2018 Pro League season before his latest decision to join Sando.

“Jabari felt his career was going off the boil,” Eve said of Mitchell, the 2014 Secondary Schools Football League Player of the Year who he had coached at Naparima College.

“Jabari had a lot of promise when I had him at Naparima but since then he has really fallen back. He wanted the opportunity to play under me again and I wanted the opportunity to work with him again (so) here we are.

“We were also short in goal-scoring out of the midfield and Jabari can shoot the ball, he is good on set pieces, and he is someone who can service the balls on set pieces especially with [defender] Josiah Trimmingham back from injury.

“Jabari has creativity, and he is a little more direct than guys like [Michael] Basdeo and [Keron] Cornwall. He is a goal-scorer in midfield. He is a player I’ve always admired.”