Nicholas
Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
BEING LABELLED gifted is sometimes a heavy burden to bear - especially for a sportsman like Tivoli Gardens footballer Christopher Nicholas who is always under public scrutiny.
The 23-year-old Nicholas, who was instrumental in helping Jamaica qualify for the 2001 Under-20 World Cup in Germany, led many to believe that he would have been a fixture in the national team by now.
He himself believed that 2004 was to be his, that he would meet his target of becoming the leading goalscorer in the Wray and Nephew-sponsored National Premier League.
He didn't achieve his target - former Harbour View striker Fabian Taylor copped that with 19 goals - however he did put his team in a position to capture the NPL crown with the goals he scored before knee surgery took him out of the semi-final and ultimate round of the competition which ended in May.
"It really hurt not being able to play in the semis and the finals but it was a good feeling knowing that my team came out on top," Nicholas said of Tivoli's triumph.
"My spirit, my mind everything was there still but there was still that feeling of not being fulfilled even though I am still the leading scorer for the club. I do not think my season finished the way I wanted it," he said.
SURGERY
Had things gone the way he had planned, the surgery would have been done in time for him to be ready for the semi-finals and the finals.
"Because of some misunderstanding between myself and the club regarding the doctors whom I preferred to do my surgery, it was done a little later than planned. Everything worked out well after the surgery though and my club and I are good and right now we are focusing on getting back on track," Nicholas explained.
Initially, the surgery was to repair a meniscus tear inside his knee but, according to Nicholas, the damage proved to be more extensive.
"When they went inside it was not only a tear. There was other damage and that is why the recovery is taking longer than what myself and the doctor were expecting," Nicholas said.
"The way I look at the situation is that it hurt my career for this season but everything happens for a purpose so probably it is that I should have done it now rather than later because the damage could have gotten much worse. Right now it gets better day by day because I am doing what the doctor said," he said.
In the meantime he is hoping to resume training in about two weeks to get his career back on track.
BIG PLANS
"I have plans on the national team. That is the biggest aim right now. Probably some players would say their biggest aim is to get outside of Jamaica but you have to be in the national team to go outside of Jamaica professionally."
Nicholas said that while he would welcome the chance to get into the United States' Major League Soccer, his aim as a Jamaican players was to break into Europe.
"If the MLS comes then great but Europe is the aim. England would be the first choice but there is also Scotland, Belgium, Germany and France," he said.
Nicholas is conscious that at 23, time is running out for him and that there is still a lot of work to be done.
NOT MUCH TIME
"At 23 there is not much time and that is why I said that probably I did the surgery at the right time to sort all that I had to do and focus on the football more seriously," he said.
This type of focus would see him getting an agent.
"I do not have an agent as yet but I have a personal manager in Carl Chang who is the kind of person who makes sure that I am alright and that I am doing what I am supposed to do such as attending the physio.
"Already he has appointed a personal trainer for me in Juliet Cuthbert and as soon as I am physically ready then that kind of work will begin. That is all a part of the plan to get me in shape," added Nicholas who intends to trim his 5'11" 190 pound body down to about 175 pounds.
That should put him in good stead for next season when he hopes to play some serious football for his club so that he can make it on the international scene.
Everything should fall into place after that, he hopes.
"My main plan for next season is to make sure I am solid. Then I can realistically say to myself, 'Keemo' you are aiming for the national team right now in order to get outside of Jamaica."
