Stern John appointed St Lucia men's football coach

Former Trinidad and Tobago striker Stern John has been appointed head coach of the St Lucia men’s team.

The announcement was made by the St Lucia Football Association on Sunday.

John’s first order of business will be preparing the team for its opening Concacaf Nations League encounter away to Dominica on June 9 and at home to Anguilla on June 12.

In a statement issued by the St Lucia Football Association, John expressed pleasure with his new appointment and thanked its president Lyndon Cooper and his team for entrusting him in this new role.

John, TT’s leading goal scorer (70 goals in 115 appearances), said, “A new journey begins this month and I believe that with the right mind-set and with a proper, calculated approach with the necessary support, we can put St Lucia back on the football map in our region.

“History shows that this island has produced some quality players in the past who have played professional football in Europe in countries such as England and Portugal.

“This is evidence that there are talented and capable players in St Lucia’s football. It’s just to get that belief again among the players and people of St Lucia again.

“The president and the FA have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and the direction they want to take the football. I will give it my all to try and bring some level of respect and stability to the national team and hopefully some smiles to the people of St Lucia again.”

John represented TT at their lone FIFA World Cup appearance in 2006. He also served as the head coach of the Anguilla men’s team and is a former TT senior team assistant coach. He was also the head coach of the TT Under-17 men’s team in 2019.

At club level, John won the TT Pro League title with Central FC in 2017 and then led the club to winners’ row in group B of the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship group stage, helping the team to advance to the finals, where they placed fourth.

In 2016, as assistant coach, he helped guide Central FC to the Caribbean Football Union Club Championship title. He is currently 18th on the list of leading goal-scorers in international football.

John played in the English Premiership for Birmingham City, winning the club’s leading goal-scorer award in 2003. He also had stints at Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, Crystal Palace, Derby County, Coventry City, Southampton and Bristol Rovers. He won an English Championship Division winners medal with Sunderland in 2007.

The ex-TT striker won the American Major League Soccer (MLS) top scorer award in 1998, with 26 goals for Columbus Crew in 1998, also earning selection on the MLS All Star team that year.