Bertille St Clair remembers Dwight Yorke's unmatched dedication to football

FORMER national coach Bertille St Clair is elated to welcome Dwight Yorke, one of his former players, back to the local game. St Clair said Yorke’s commitment to the sport was unmatched from an early age.

St Clair, one of the most respected coaches in local football history, guided his fellow Tobagonian Yorke when the latter was a child. St Clair has always believed in Yorke and is wishing him the best in his new role in Trinidad and Tobago football, after he was announced as the national men’s senior coach on November 1. The TT Football Association has given Yorke the main task of helping the Soca Warriors qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Yorke, 53, is a TT and Manchester United legend. He captained the Soca Warriors at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

St Clair reflected on the early 1980s when he chose Yorke to play on a TT Under-13 team when he was ten years old. His decision was questioned, but St Clair saw Yorke’s quality.

“In 1981...when I pick the team to go Puerto Rico (for a tournament) with Shaka Hislop and (Russell) Latapy, Dwight was ten years old and the manager ask me where I going with that little boy. I just told him I am picking the team...and Dwight make every national team after that.”

St Clair, who served as national senior men’s coach in the 1990s and 2000s, remembered Yorke’s dedication to the sport. “From age seven, Dwight used to walk from Canaan to Shaw Park (a distance of approxiamtely eight kilometres) when I (was) doing sessions.”

It takes about 15 minutes to drive from Canaan to Shaw Park.

St Clair was coach of the national Under-20 team at the 1991 FIFA Youth Championships. Yorke and former Soca Warriors coach Angus Eve played on the team. St Clair showed Eve support during his tenure and would visit Eve’s training camps in Tobago to give the players pep talks.

Eve was hired as the senior coach in 2021, before being sacked in July.

The veteran coach spoke about the importance of coaches and players respecting each other.

“You have to show the path for them to respect you. I always tell the guys if you have no discipline you cannot be anybody...if you are a star player, set the standard for the others to follow you.”

St Clair always made sure his players were professional and would often tell them to put their shirts in their pants.

St Clair encouraged Yorke to ensure his players are disciplined. “I hope he talk to the guys about that and elevate them...we have talent and we want to have that type of guidance to move on.”