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“[…] I want to be a professional footballer, but my first goal is to be better than my father (former FC Santa Rosa player Jeffrey Ferdinand).
“People always tell me my father was a good player, so I always try to push myself to be better than him so the talk will change…”
Malick Secondary captain and utility player Jordan “Ferdi” Ferdinand talks one-on-one with Wired868 intern Denicia Baptiste about his football journey and his future plans in the game:
What is your date of birth?
My birth date is the 17th of November 2006.
What is your home town?
My hometown is Arima.
How would you describe yourself as a person?
I am a genuine person; I like sports, I grew up by myself, and I have a newborn brother, Jace.
Photo: Denicia Baptiste
What do you do in your spare time?
I play video games; I train by myself, and I clean.
What pushes you to succeed?
I want to be a professional footballer, but my first goal is to be better than my father. People always tell me my father was a good player, so I always try to push myself to be better than him so the talk will change.
Who’s your father?
My dad’s name is Jeffrey Ferdinand and he played for Santa Rosa FC between 2000-2008. He played centre midfield or right back.
Who is your favourite player?
Trent Arnold from Liverpool. He is a very rugged player and very fast, too.
Photo: Reuters/ Phil Noble
What is your favourite team?
My favourite team is Barcelona.
What is your best moment in football so far?
Training for the National Under-20 Team was a good experience even though I didn’t get picked for the final team, but it was a good experience.
How did not being picked for the national team affect you?
I was hurt because I was playing better than most men who were picked.
What makes you stand out as a player?
I’m strong on the ball and I have a powerful and accurate shot. I play all over, but mostly, right back and midfield.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Have you ever done goalkeeping?
Yes; until I broke my pinkie finger
What is your ambition in the game?
[To play in the] Champions League, hopefully. And I hope I can carry my country, Trinidad and Tobago, into the World Cup.
What is your target for this season?
To make the SSFL All-Star team and hopefully get a scholarship.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Arima Araucans
Who was your most important coaches/coach during your football journey?
The coach I really look up to is coach Keith Look Loy. He was a very good coach to me; he taught me everything that I know up to this day, and he keeps pushing me to be the best. We still talk up to this day.
What is your most memorable moment as a school footballer to date?
That would be my first game in the [Premier Division] with St Augustine Secondary against Naps (Naparima College).
I wouldn’t forget it because I was the smallest one on the field, doing the most. We lost 9-0, which hurt—but I still did them what I want on the field.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
What do you enjoy about the 2024 SSFL competition?
I enjoy playing my favourite sport, but it’s really just frustrating. The teams we expected to win against, we lost. And some of the teams we expected to lose against, we won. We weren’t expecting Miracle Ministries (PHS) to beat us; we let [complacency] get to us and ended up throwing away the whole game.
We ended in eighth place in the Premier Division [table].
What are some of the challenges you faced this season?
Injuries. A hamstring tear and a knee injury affected me since my national trials [in January]. It started to act up and hurt a little bit. I couldn’t run properly, but I go to therapy now, and my knee feels better.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
As captain, how do you motivate your teammates?
All of us are friends. I try to motivate them the best I could for them to not argue, but that’s just how they talk sometimes. Not everyone can take the arguing because it breaks them down sometimes, but I motivate them on and off the field.
For the St Anthony’s game, too, I was in the stands calling our manager and telling him to tell them what to do. They listened, and we won.
How do you motivate your teammates off the field?
They are not really a bunch who need to be motivated because they know how to get the task done. It might have little fall outs in school or in class and I will pull them aside to remind them about what we really want. Other than that, Malick team has a vibe that everybody is one.
Sometimes I tell them $20 a goal! (Laughs)
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Where do you see yourself after you leave school?
I’m looking forward to getting a scholarship. I have an uncle who lives in America, and I want to go live with him to see if I can get a team out there if I don’t get a scholarship.
What advice do you have for young people like yourself who want to pursue a career in football?
Focus on your dreams first, but find a balance and keep pushing yourself to be whatever you want to be. It doesn’t even have to be sports.
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Denicia Baptiste is a COSTAATT student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and is currently an intern at Wired868. She enjoys listening to music and singing. Baptiste is most passionate about reaching her goals in life and being an example to her daughter. Her advice to young persons is to “get your education up, knowledge will always be power”.
