On February 27 this year, Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson became the first Guyana footballer to play in the US Major League Soccer competition (MLS) when he signed a US$75,000 contract with the Colorado Rapids.
Richardson though, for several reasons however, only appeared in one league match, playing 11 minutes as a substitute in the Rapids season-opening 2-1 loss to Chivas USA before being waived by the club on June 26.
Fortunately, he flew right into the nest of the Carolina Rail Hawks; a USL first division club.
In his debut game for the Hawks, Richardson put on a performance that was impressive as he scored the opening goal of his side’s 2-0 win over reigning USL champions Vancouver Whitecaps and that followed by several other excellent performances which saw him being named the League’s Player of the Week.
Following the conclusion of the season, Richardson returned home to spend time with his family and will feature for his local club Pele in this year’s Kashif and Shanghai Football tournament.
Pele are the defending champions.
Yesterday the striker sat down with Stabroek Sport’s Rawle Toney (RT) for his first extensive interview since being in Guyana.
Following is the interview.
RT: How do feel about coming back home and giving Guyanese a chance to see you play since being based in the US?
GR: As normal, everyone wants to see if I have improved or so. You know everybody coming to see a good performance from me especially now when I have a lot of weight on my shoulders to carry now as an international player.
It’s not really no pressure and even if I like playing under pressure you know, everybody is coming to see a show and I want to show them that I can play; give them a nice show and make them enjoy it so they can come back a next time and support Pele.
Playing overseas has helped me out a lot because its people you are playing with, same amount of talent like you. You know, it’s not like back home here where you have some more and some less talented. So, with people who are talented just like you are, you have to rise to the occasion everyday.
Since I came back, people are always proud of me and coming from the ghetto too. Yea! It makes them proud that I can go and do something constructive. Sometimes I would meet strangers old and young. Plenty I don’t know but they would just say thanks and keep Guyana proud.
Right now other teams want me but I don’t want to rush into anything. I’m just leaving everything up to the agent to do what they have to do, but I have to go back in January and it’s back to the MLS.
RT: What are your thoughts on football in Guyana and the support given to the game?
GR: Government is one of the biggest disappointments. They don’t come and do nothing for you. Everybody just leave you just like that. But I wish them well because I still have to go on and play football.
My club is always supporting me and helping me a lot. They give me everything I ask for especially the president. He helps me out a lot. All the old Pele players are very supportive going and coming. Anything I ask them for, they always there to help in any situation.
But the problem is the government, they don’t like footballers. They don’t support it, I don’t know why. Why you can’t support a man who comes from the ghetto?
You are going to support a man who’s rich already.
They [Government] say they can’t do anything. They can’t do anything for a footballer especially a man that played so far. Nobody doesn’t even know Guyana. When you tell a man you from Guyana, he don’t know which part you from, he think is Africa or somewhere.
And for a man to go and represent his country so far it’s hard you know. Especially when he is making a name too. That is why you can’t depend on the government. They can’t give you anything, not even a little advice. Nothing!
Digicel is another issue too. Digicel have my poster and I don’t know how they got it. And number one, they never even give me a phone nor sponsor me yet. And they have my poster big in Corentyne hiding it away till in the country. So right now I want to sue Digicel for hiding my poster.
RT: When could Guyanese see you in the national team again?
GR: Not right now. My mind it isn’t there right now. National team, they ain’t helping anybody. They ain’t helping the youths do nothing. You don’t even have three or four youngsters going to college. What’s the problem? Why? Nobody else can’t play football like me? Anybody could play like me and even better but they have to help the youths. Give them a chance to go to school and play football.
In others countries right in the Caribbean, Antigua and so on, that is what they are doing. Helping the youths there to go to college and then they improving and then they getting a chance to play in the MLS and so on.
Look Guyana went and win a tournament and I feel good about it too for the players you, knowing how much you would sacrifice playing for the National team. But look what they got.
What happen to the players? They get a medal and $8000. That is poor. So I wouldn’t be taking part in the national team for a little while until they change certain things because they wasting Guyanese talent.
The GFF needs to give everybody a chance that is why the country ranking is going back down. Give the footballers a visa. Let them go and get a chance. Try out with some club or something.
Everybody think that Trinidad is some big football city but Trinidad Football poor just like Guyana. It’s that just in Guyana they don’t have the money to put into the clubs.
Look at it; if they put the money into the clubs, it’s the same foreign players will come here and play and the standard will be high. It’s like the Kashif and Shanghai tournament. Clubs bring in one and two foreign players and the standard is high.
RT: For the Kashif and Shanghai Tournament this year, ‘King Pele’ will be here and it was said that he has special interest in your team (Pele) and Santos, how do you feel about seeing a boyhood idol in person?
GR: Damn! Well that is so good you know. Everybody wants to see ‘King Pele’ because he is the greatest player that ever played the game. As a youngster when I use to run around playing, I wanted to be just like Pele because coming from the ghetto and everything just like him and now to meet him is more than great especially playing for Pele Football Club in Guyana which bears his name.
As a player it feels so great to have myself, my teammates and my club to be featured on International TV because of King Pele coming here. To play in front of him to let him see well, you could play should be a proud feeling for everybody.