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“[…] I think my creativity as well as my goal scoring ability makes me standout. It gives me something unique, that a lot of other players might not have.
“[…] My ambition is to one day play in the Champions League—that is a big goal for me. I also want to play more for my country…”
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Fatima College star Caden Trestrail was the highest scoring midfielder in the 2024 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division competition with 12 goals—and the second most prolific player in the competition behind St Benedict’s College captain Derrel Garcia (17 goals).
The 16-year-old ace took time out from his National Intercol campaign to talk one-on-one with Wired868 intern Denicia Baptiste:
What is your birthdate?
The 8th of January 2008.
What is your hometown?
Diego Martin.
How would you describe yourself as a person?
As a person I’d say, I could have a jokey but serious side on the field.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
Is there anything about you that people do not know?
People know everything about me I don’t think there’s really anything people don’t know about me. I don’t have anything to hide from anybody.
What pushes you to become successful?
To make my family proud for the amount of effort they put in for me to get this far. Just to push and get as far as possible.
Who is your favourite football player?
Of all-time would-be Steven Gerrard. He played for Liverpool.
Who is your favourite team?
Liverpool as well.
(via Zimbio)
What was your best moment football so far?
I think scoring the winning goal in the SSFL last year against “Naps” in the last minute was one of the best moments for me. I felt proud about [that win]. I brought home the first title for Fatima for around 45 years—so that meant a lot to me as well as the school.
What makes you standout? Describe yourself as a player.
I think my creativity as well as my goal scoring ability makes me standout. It gives me something unique, that a lot of other players might not have.
What is your ambition in the game?
My ambition is to one day play in the Champions League—that is a big goal for me. I also want to play more for my country.
Photo: Brian Miller/ Wired868
What is your target for this season?
Well obviously we didn’t win the league as of now, but definitely to win the National Intercol.
During your football journey, who was the most important coach/coaches to make an impact on you?
So, far since I was young, coach Anthony Selby with QPCC—and obviously now I have coach Hutson Charles, who leads the team well and got us this far.
What do you enjoy about the SSFL competition?
I think it brings a good balance to the teams; I don’t think any of the teams within the first division is at a low level. It gives a good challenge and makes us all get better.
Photo: Nicholas Bhajan/ Wired868
What are some challenges you faced this season?
We had a little rough patch losing a couple games, maybe the vibes were a little off. But I think now that it’s all back together, we had a couple wins and now we’re ready to win the Intercol.
If anything, what would you like to see improve in the SSFL competition?
There could be a little more media coverage to give us more exposure. There are so many games every week, but we can only see one or two games on SportsMax. It’s still all good but it can be better.
Photo: Daniel Prentice/ Wired868
What advice would you give to young person like yourself who wants to pursue professional football as a career?
If football is what you want to pursue properly, keep your head focus stay on target and you’d eventually reach your goal.
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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”.
