Warrior profile: Aubrey David – Achieving one dream at a time

NATIONAL footballer Aubrey David has achieved many of his childhood dreams.

David, 32, has played in two FIFA Youth World Cups and played professional football in five countries – Finland, Kazakhstan, Costa Rica, US and TT.

On September 7, the defender achieved yet another dream when he wore the captain’s armband for Trinidad and Tobago in a Concacaf Nations League game against Curacao at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. Born in Guyana, David had a very brief stint with the Golden Jaguars in 2012, before committing firmly to the red, white and black in 2012.

His no-nonsense approach and fearless defending have made him a mainstay at his club, Alajuelense, in the Costa Rica premier division, and saw him appointed skipper by national coach Angus Eve, after the resignation of his predecessor Kevin Molino.

In an interview with Newsday on Sunday, David went into detail about his emotions while walking through the tunnel and hearing the national anthem playing during his captaincy debut.

He said the experience was surreal and something he had envisaged since entering the national youth setup at age 14.

“For me, it’s a blessing and first and foremost, I want to give God the honour and glory to play and represent the national team and the opportunity to be the captain - because it was a childhood dream.

With a bubbly tone to his voice, David added, “Since small, I was the in front mirror, practising how I would walk, practising how I would talk - imagining I was Dwight Yorke or Kenwywne Jones.”

As national youth players, David said they would be allowed to enter the dressing room and see their idols up close and personal. He said these moments left a lasting impression on him.

David said getting a victory in the first match as captain was a special moment and something he will always remember.

The national team has done well under David’s leadership with two wins on the trot - against Curacao and El Salvador - that put them top of their group in the Concacaf Nations League. But what type of leader is David?

“I think I am a charismatic captain. I lead by my example - not too big on the vocal part. Later on in my career I developed that a bit. I feel like my example can set a standard for others to follow - my work rate, commitment and leadership..”

Asked how he would react to a teammate not performing his duties on the pitch, David said, “There are moments in the game - ball goes out, or somebody goes down - I would say, ‘Come fast,’ and get in a quick word.”

He said it is important to understand each player’s character traits.

“Different players have different mentalities. Some players, if you scream at them, you lose them, lose their confidence. I would say, ‘You’re a good player, believe in yourself, keep going.’ I would try to lift them up rather than bring them down. Surely trying to motivate them (will work better).” David believes times have changed and the “hairdryer” approach is not suited all the time. “Times have changed and the mentalities of players.”

Life in Costa Rica has been kind to David and he feels very comfortable there. He said he is enjoying his football and has learned a lot since arriving in that country in 2016 to play for Saprissa. He left for a couple years to play in Finland but returned to Saprissa in 2019. He joined Alajuelense in 2022.

“It changed the way I look at football - in terms of the culture, and it increased my game a lot. Here they treat football like a culture. Now I’m well known and one of the leaders on my team. This is my home away from TT.”

David still has one more dream unfulfilled - qualifying for a FIFA men’s World Cup. He acknowledged it will arguably be the most difficult, but he made it clear that it is not unattainable.

“It’s achievable and still one of my goals that I would like to achieve before I finish my career. As a kid that is stuff you dream of. I did it at the under-17- and under-20 level. The only thing missing is to do it at the senior level. It’s gonna be difficult but it is something that can be achieved. This is the best chance with hosts US, Mexico and Canada automatically qualified (and the World Cup being expanded from 32 o 48 teams.”