Leston Paul

Last updated

Leston Paul
USMNT vs. Trinidad and Tobago (48125006257) (cropped).jpg
Paul with Trinidad and Tobago at the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-03-11) 11 March 1990 (age 33)
Place of birth Mayaro, Trinidad and Tobago
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Memphis 901
Number 23
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2010–2012 South Florida Bulls 58 (8)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2014–2017 Central
2017–2018 Pasaquina 34 (2)
2018 Central
2019– Memphis 901 87 (0)
International career‡
2007 Trinidad and Tobago U17
2009 Trinidad and Tobago U20
2014– Trinidad and Tobago 30 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:12, 19 October 2022 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:15, 15 November 2018 (UTC)

Leston Peter Paul (born 11 March 1990) is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Memphis 901 in the USL Championship. [1]

Contents

He previously played for Central F.C. in the Trinidad and Tobago (TT) Pro League, where he led the "Sharks" to a hat trick of TT Pro League titles (2014–15, 2015–16 and 2016–17) and back to back CFU Club Championship triumphs in the 2014–15 and 2015-16 seasons. [2]

With 13 full international caps to his name, Paul has lined up for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification in CONCACAF. He was also the captain of the Trinidad and Tobago National U-17 and U-20 teams that featured in the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup and 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup. [3]

Career

Paul signed for Central F.C. in January 2014 amidst of flurry of other high profiled Trinidad and Tobago National team players such as Willis Plaza, Ataulla Guerra and Yohance Marshall. He quickly established himself as an integral cog in Central's midfield alongside veteran and TT Pro League legend Marvin Oliver. In his first full season with the "Sharks" he helped the team secure an unprecedented 9 trophies (5 major trophies and 4 minor trophies) including the club's first TT Pro League and CFU Club Championship titles. Paul also scored the solitary goal in the 2014 First Citizens Cup Final versus North East Stars F.C. The club lifted the CFU Club Championship title on home soil by defeating arch rival W Connection F.C. 2-1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium. Paul's excellent performances and natural leadership qualities shone through during the season and he was eventually named club captain towards the end of the 2014-15 season.

In the following season, Paul once again led the club in retaining the two most prestigious titles: TT Pro League and CFU Club Championship. This proved especially difficult as Paul and his teammates faced off against a hostile Don Bosco of Haiti which was playing at home in the CFU Club Championship semi-final. The score was locked at 1-1 at the end of added extra time in heavy rain but Central F.C. pulled off a 2-4 penalty shootout victory with Paul scoring the winning penalty. This win secured a repeat of the 2015 final versus W Connection which the "Sharks" ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. Paul was also named the 2016 CFU Club Championship MVP.

In a tumultuous 2016-17, Paul was yet again a mainstay at the heart of the "Sharks" midfield as they made history but claiming a hat trick of TT Pro League titles.

He then decided to seek a new challenge at North East Stars F.C. for a brief spell before signing for Pasaquina.

International career

Leston Paul was born and grew up in Mayaro, Trinidad but attended and represented St. Mary's College (Port of Spain) with distinction. He captained St. Mary's College to the North Zone Intercol title in 2007. In that same year, he led the Trinidad and Tobago National U17 team to the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup in Korea and played in all 3 matches in a group featuring Germany, Ghana and Colombia. In 2008, he was selected by none other than John Barnes as one of eight Caribbean players to earn a 1-week training stint at Sunderland's Stadium of Light as part of Digicel's Kick Start Clinic. In 2009, the combative midfielder led the Trinidad and Tobago U20 team to the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt where the team was eventually eliminated from Group A featuring the likes of Paraguay, Italy and hosts Egypt.

Paul's performances earned him a 4-year scholarship at the University of South Florida (USF) where he excelled and was selected on the Rookie Team of the Year in 2010 and the Big East Third Teams of the Year from 2010 to 2012. [3] Upon graduating from USF in 2012, he returned home to Trinidad and represented hometown club Guaya United F.C. (National Super League) briefly before permanently moving to Central F.C. Paul was awarded his first Trinidad and Tobago Senior International cap by then head coach Stephen Hart in the 2014 Caribbean Cup qualification stage against the Dominican Republic in October 2014. He helped the team to a commanding 6-1 victory and then made appearances throughout the qualification stage. With Paul at the heart of the midfield, T&T overcame Curaçao and Cuba before being runners-up to Jamaica in the final. He then went on to make further appearances under coach Hart in friendly internationals against Jordan, Peru and Uruguay. He performed well in the contest against Uruguay in May 2016 where the South American giants won 3-1 with Edinson Cavani scoring a brace. His last Senior International Cap came in a 2-0 loss to USA on 8 June 2017 in CONCACAF fifth round (also known as the Hex) in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying.

Related Research Articles

The TT Premier Football League is the Trinidad and Tobago professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division in the Trinidad and Tobago football league system. Contested by ten clubs, the league is one of the world's few football leagues that does not operate on an automatic system of promotion and relegation. Seasons run from September to May, with teams playing 18 games each totaling 90 games in the season. Most games are played in the evenings of Fridays and Saturdays, with a few games played during weekday evenings. TT Premier Football League clubs also play in other competitions, such as the FA Trophy, League Cup, TOYOTA Classic, Goal Shield, and Pro Bowl against domestic clubs from other divisions; and against clubs from other countries in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Public F.C.</span> Association football club in Trinidad and Tobago

Joe Public Football Club is a football club from Trinidad and Tobago that used to play in the TT Pro League. Nicknamed the Eastern Lions, it is owned by former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner. Joe Public also sponsors the Munroe Road Cricket Club.

Kendall Jagdeosingh is a Trinidadian footballer who currently plays for Ayutthaya in Thai League 3

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yohance Marshall</span> Trinidadian footballer (born 1986)

Yohance Marshall is a Trinidadian former professional footballer who played as a defender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevon Villaroel</span> Trinidadian soccer player (born 1987)

Kevon Villaroel is a Trinidadian soccer player who currently plays for the Central FC of the TT Pro League

The 2011–12 TT Pro League season was the thirteenth season of the TT Pro League, the Trinidad and Tobago professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1999. A total of eight teams contested the league, with Defence Force as the defending champions. The season began on 9 September 2011 and ended on 29 March 2012 with the crowning of W Connection as the league champion. Dexter Skeene, Pro League CEO, announced on 11 February 2011 that by aligning its seasons with those of the major leagues in Europe, the Pro League will afford the opportunity to further link culture with sport to harness and develop the talent of people in Trinidad and Tobago.

Shahdon Shane Andre Winchester was a Trinidadian professional footballer who played as a winger for the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joevin Jones</span> Trinidadian professional footballer (born 1991)

Joevin Martin Jones is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Police F.C. and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

Julian Wade is a Dominican professional footballer who plays as a striker for Scottish side Formartine United.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central F.C.</span> Association football club in Trinidad and Tobago

Central Football Club is a Trinidad and Tobago professional football club, based in California, that plays in the TT Pro League. Founded in 2012, the Sharks were the 21st team to join the Pro League and plays its home matches in Ato Boldon Stadium located in nearby Couva.

Trinidad and Tobago football clubs have entered international competitions since 1967, when Regiment of the Port of Spain Football League took part in the 1967 CONCACAF Champions' Cup. Since the nation's first international club competition, several association football clubs from Trinidad and Tobago have entered North America, Central America, and Caribbean competitions.

Trayon Denzil Bobb is a Guyanese professional footballer who plays as a left-winger for S.U.1 de Dezembro of the Portuguese Campeonato de Portugal league. He also represents the Guyana national team.

The history of the TT Pro League has its roots spanning back to the 1970s and 1980s when Trinidad and Tobago experienced an upswing in support for its domestic football. Several of the national team players featured for Defence Force during its dominance of the National League, which included the Teteron Boys becoming the first Trinidadian and only second club from CONCACAF to accomplish the continental treble in 1985. In addition, the national team also rose to prominence in the late 1980s after falling short by one match of qualification for the nation's first FIFA World Cup in 1989. Optimism for the growth and community interest of football in Trinidad and Tobago was at an all-time high. However, the early 1990s would mark a low point in Trinidad and Tobago football. In 1993, after a streak of poor performances, the Soca Warriors gave its worst ever showing in the 1993 Caribbean Cup after finishing a disappointing third, which was preceded by an early exit from its '94 for Sure campaign to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup hosted in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elton John (footballer)</span> Trinidad Tobago footballer

Elton David Wallace John is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.

Dwight Quintero is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a striker for TT Pro League club Central FC.

Neil Tevin Michael Benjamin, Jr. is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a winger for TT Pro League club W Connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levi García</span> Trinidadian association football player

Levi Samuel García is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Greek Super League club AEK Athens and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

Jomal Evans Williams is a Trinidadian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Primera División club Once Deportivo and the Trinidad and Tobago national team.

Stuart Charles-Fevrier or Stuart Charles Fevrier is a Saint Lucian professional football manager. Born in Curacao, he was raised in Saint Lucia where he is from. Recently, in February 2017, he became assistant coach for the Trinidad and Tobago national football team by a unanimous decision after being shortlisted for manager by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association technical committee.

References

  1. ↑ One-on-one with Leston Paul wired868.com
  2. ↑ "Central FC repeats as CFU Club champions". Trinidad and Tobago Guardian . 3 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 "Leston Paul". MLS Soccer.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.