KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – While football is on hold throughout the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jamaica international Kemar Lawrence will be working to ensure he maintains his top form for when he makes his debut with topflight Belgian club RSC Anderlecht.
The 27-year-old defender, who joined the club in January after a transfer from Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit New York Red Bulls, was expecting to break into the team when COVID-19 put a halt to the Belgian Jupiler League’s 2019-2020 season.
Sporting events worldwide have been either cancelled or postponed, and athletes forced to put formal training on hold as governments implement curfews and restrict movement in an effort to stem the spread of the deadly virus that has infected more than 1.4 million people, including almost 82,000 fatalities.
But the Belgium-based Lawrence, who is looking forward to his debut with Anderlecht, one of Europe’s top clubs, said he has been able to keep training even at home.
“Football is easy to practice and I don’t need a lot of space. Some days I go outside and find a park and run by myself, and I do my abs and core work at home. I also use the steps in my house to go up and down. For me, it has not been that difficult to get the work in,” said the key member of the Reggae Boyz.
Stressing that he did not intend to become complacent, he added: “‘Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.’ This quote is so true. So, yes, believe in your talent, but also believe that hard work is what is going to bring you success. And don’t give up on your dream, follow it and pray about it and ask God to show you where he wants you to be. And finally, don’t get impatient.
“The most challenging thing for me is not to get complacent, to keep pushing myself, to keep striving and trying to do better and greater things. So that’s the challenge to always keep myself motivated and sharp and to keep telling myself that I can still do bigger and better things. If you get complacent, then it’s down the ladder from there.”
Lawrence became a mainstay of Jamaica’s national team and scored one of the most iconic goals in CONCACAF Gold Cup history when his free kick earned the island a first-ever Gold Cup win over Mexico, 1-0, in the 2017 Gold Cup semifinal and a berth in the final for the second consecutive tournament.
It is thus far the exclamation point on an international career that started at the Under-17 level and continued through the Under-20s until reaching the Reggae Boyz.
Lawrence said the motivation to excel in the world of football began when he was just a young boy.
“My career started while attending Holy Family Primary and Infant School, and I can tell from that stage I took the game very seriously. I loved it and have always been passionate about it,” he said.
That passion for the game lifted Lawrence to a National Premier League debut with Harbour View, followed by a transfer in 2015 to the New York Red Bulls, with whom he appeared in 118 matches. Lawrence then secured the transfer to Anderlecht.
