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Anthony Whyte looks to make a positive impact both on and off the field!
National Team Goalkeeper Anthony Whyte in training for the Golden Jaguars.
By Santokie Nagulendran
When Jamaal Shabazz re-assembled the Golden Jaguars squad at the beginning of the year, he did so with an emphasis on youth, with numerous talented youngsters being called up to the Senior National Team, many for the first time. One such player was goalkeeper Anthony Whyte, who resides in the USA and was called to the team alongside his older brother, Daniel. Aged just 19 years old, Anthony started the friendly game against Grenada in March and kept a clean sheet as Guyana won 2-0, a remarkable achievement for somebody so young.
“My Father was born in Campbellville, Georgetown, the feeling to play for your dad’s country is unimaginable,” Whyte explained. At the time of his call-up, Whyte was studying at College in Florida, ‘’Jamaal Smith (a senior National Team player) had mentioned both my brother and myself to Faizal Khan, and from there he contacted both my dad and myself. During that time I was in Florida playing college soccer for Florida Southern College.”
Whyte remains grateful of the opportunity afforded to him, “My brother and I were very surprised and shocked to be called up for Guyana’s National Team. It was a blessing to be chosen. It was honestly the best experience of my life.”
Asked whether nerves featured during his first International game, Whyte’s professionalism and maturity showed, “At first I was nervous but when you are playing at an international level you can’t afford to be nervous. So within a couple minutes I shook off my nerves and focused on the game.”
Anthony Whyte had an extended stay in Guyana as he was initially named in Guyana’s World Cup squad, although he did not play in the qualifying games, however he featured in Guyana’s Under-23 squad later on in June, where he started all three group games. “I believe the experience with the national team did improve my game because the pace of the national team is much faster than college soccer in the USA, so when I returned to the States the game was more clear to me and easier to read, since the pace in the States was slower.”
Asked on what players in the camp taught him the most, Whyte points out two senior players, “Our captain Chris Nurse taught me a lot about passion and work ethic. Neil Danns is very quick on the ball, thus showing me I have to read the plays quicker and come off my line faster.”
Goalkeeping has always been seen as a problematic area for Guyana over the years, and it is hoped that Whyte could be the long-term solution for the National Team. For now though, Anthony and his brother are hoping to play professionally. “At this moment, my brother and I are on trials with Caledonia AIA in Trinidad,” he says, which is a club famous for nurturing Guyanese talent over the years, due to the close ties Guyana’s Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz maintains there, fellow Guyanese players Pernell Schultz and Trayon Bobb also currently play for Caledonia AIA.
Whilst a professional career in Trinidad and Tobago’s Pro League is seemingly on the horizon, Whyte has a bigger vision for the future: “My ultimate ambition for the future is to play professional football in Europe, as well as be a role model in my community. I want to not only make a positive impact on the field but also off the field. In five yearsI am hoping to have my football career somewhere in Europe, where I can improve myself and make myself better for the national team.”
With great ambition, and talent to match it, it won’t be long before we see Anthony Whyte establish himself as Guyana’s number one goalkeeper, and with the right attitude, a career playing in Europe is inevitable for the Young Jag.
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