Promising schoolboy footballer Roman Garness is yet to visit Saint Lucia, but he is hopeful of a glittering career in the national uniform.
Born and raised in the United Kingdom, the nine-year-old Garness has ties to Saint Lucia on both sides of his family, with grandparents from the southern community of Augier. And he is keen to follow in the footsteps of British-born players like senior national men’s captain Terell Thomas.
“Playing for Saint Lucia means everything to us,” said Matthew Garness, Roman’s dad.
“It’s more than just football, it’s about honouring our roots. Roman comes from strong Saint Lucian blood on both sides of the family, with deep ties to Augier, Vieux Fort, and proud connections to the Chitolie, Sumayah and Garness families.
“We’ve always raised him with a sense of patriotism, culture and identity, from learning Creole at home to cooking Lucian dishes and celebrating with soca and ska.
Representing Saint Lucia isn’t just a dream; it’s a responsibility we take seriously, and one that Roman carries with pride.
“At a time when Caribbean football is growing and gaining attention, we’re eager to help put Saint Lucia on the football map. Roman would be honoured to play his part, not just for the badge, but for his grandparents, his heritage, and every young Saint Lucian with big dreams.”
Garness has shone in the Under-9 division for the Bishops Stortford Centre, Harlow Town FC and Norwich FC. He helped guide the Harlow Town Eagles Under-9s to the Emerald Division Cup title and the top of their league earlier this year. Norwich coach Kieren Smith gave the lad a solid all-round assessment at season’s end.
“Roman is a very intelligent player,” Smith said. “He is a player who makes smart runs, is capable of combination play and can finish a chance very well from many types of angles. His understanding of the game is better than most, and creativity comes quite naturally to him.
“One thing I challenge Roman to do moving forward is to communicate with his teammates and take a leading role in progressing the ball forward. His runs create space for teammates and scoring opportunities for himself and others, so just small snippets of information he could shout out would help him and his team score more goals.”
Roman’s journey started at just six years old with Harlow Tekkers FC. He is now signed to Harlow Town FC, and his rise through the ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. From grassroots beginnings at Harlow Tekkers to cup-winning success with Harlow Town FC, Roman’s passion and progress are undeniable.
In his fourth season at Norwich FC and second year with their Advanced Development Squad, Garness continues to grow into an exciting young prospect. He has also been developed by coach Lester Thomas with Elite Pro Sport over the past three seasons.
Since his early days with Elite Pro Sport’s Under-11s at age seven, Garness has played above his level. Now at Harlow Town FC, he’s ready to compete in Under-11s and is being considered to make the leap to Under-14s.
In the coming months, Garness is planning to visit Saint Lucia with his family and is hopeful of trialling with the national youth team. His father said that this should be the first of many trips to come, as the talented boy seeks to deepen his connection to the island. His family here are equally eager to meet him, after years of video calling with his cousins.
nice to see Lucian football progressing. Overseas and talents players add more to a team and bring attention to the island
Bishops Stortford Centre, Harlow Town FC and Norwich FC are teams people here in England have hardly heard of. If this youngster was at the top of his game he would be representing teams like Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool and if he was playing for them at the junior level his parents would not be thinking of St Lucia. Who are they trying to kid?
They go on to brag about teaching him Kwayol among other things. I wonder why as most kids born in London to Lucian parents do NOT want to speak the Kwayol language. They are ashamed of it. St Lucia lost 4- nil to Curacao a team that they should have beaten to help set them up on their way to the World Cup next year. There are plenty of Lucian heritage kids born and bred in the UK who ply their football trade here – Most of them refuse to play for the national team. It is only when they don’t make it in the top echelons of the English league that they want to play for St Lucia to see if a premier league club will pick them. They don’t have St Lucia’s best interest at heart.
Ask yourselves why would a kid so young want to aspire to play for a team that is not even in FIFA’s top 60 countries.- St Lucia currently sits at 165 in the FIFA World rankings. This young kid should he make it and I hope he does will not want to play for St Lucia- Let’s be honest. If England comes calling he will play for England if he makes it to the premier league. It is nice to see Augier in the news as I have not seen much about this part of VFort in the news previously. The parents of this child prodigy needs to be realistic.
A lot of talented kids fall by the wayside. I remember back in 1999, a young football prodigy was on the books of several clubs including Arsenal. He was 9 at the time and everybody was mesmerised by his footballing talent. He was the grandson of Lord Pitt of Hampstead, one of the first black members of the UK’s House Of Lords and all of a sudden he vanished. I have not heard of him ever since. Whatever happened to him. We have to be very careful how we push kids for our own selfish interest as parents. Look at how Gary Coleman from Different Strokes fell by the wayside after his parents took total control of his earnings and everything in his showbiz lifestyle. Stop depending on our kids to make it so we can live this lavish lifestyle that we have always craved for– We need to work for our living. Stop pushing children – Let them live their lives as kids.
Great feature. Nice to see progression and development with our players
What good news we have. This takes away the usual news of crime and issues with the youth. Well done young man, let’s hope you get selected and put our island on the map.
Roman’s passion, discipline, and deep connection to his roots make him a true ambassador for the island—on and off the pitch. We stand behind him 100% and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Let’s put Saint Lucia on the football map, one goal at a time!
Well done Roman. We are so proud of all your achievements. You train really hard and we can see you are a gifted footballer. Wishing you every success 🙌🏽
ChatGPT
You said:
respond to Bishops Stortford Centre, Harlow Town FC and Norwich FC are teams people here in England have hardly heard of. If this youngster was at the top of his game he would be representing teams like Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool and if he was playing for them at the junior level his parents would not be thinking of St Lucia. Who are they trying to kid?
They go on to brag about teaching him Kwayol among other things. I wonder why as most kids born in London to Lucian parents do NOT want to speak the Kwayol language. They are ashamed of it. St Lucia lost 4- nil to Curacao a team that they should have beaten to help set them up on their way to the World Cup next year. There are plenty of Lucian heritage kids born and bred in the UK who ply their football trade here – Most of them refuse to play for the national team. It is only when they don’t make it in the top echelons of the English league that they want to play for St Lucia to see if a premier league club will pick them. They don’t have St Lucia’s best interest at heart.
ChatGPT said:
Here’s a thoughtful and firm response you can use to address this message while maintaining respect and clarity:
It’s unfortunate that you feel the need to belittle both the clubs mentioned and the efforts of young players trying to build their careers. Every professional footballer starts somewhere, and clubs like Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow Town, and even Norwich have produced talent that’s gone on to succeed at the highest levels. Dismissing them outright shows a lack of understanding about how grassroots and youth football works in England.
Not every young player is going to walk straight into Arsenal or Liverpool – even their academy players start from local teams and prove themselves over time. Suggesting that a child’s international ambitions should only be validated if they’re already at a top-tier club is shortsighted and unfair.
As for the language and culture – teaching a child Kweyòl is about preserving heritage, not impressing others. The reality is, many children of diaspora communities are beginning to embrace their roots more, not less. It’s not about shame; it’s about pride, connection, and identity – things that some of us are working hard to restore in future generations.
And while it’s true that St Lucia’s national team has its challenges, turning your back on the effort to improve things doesn’t help. It’s easy to criticise from the sidelines. What’s harder – and more valuable – is supporting and encouraging those who actually want to be part of the solution, whether they’re home-grown or from the diaspora.
Not everyone has to “make it” in the Premier League to be worthy of representing St Lucia. What matters is commitment, passion, and vision. If a young player or their family chooses to align with St Lucia early on, that’s a credit to them – not something to scoff at.
Would you like this tailored to a specific platform or tone (e.g. more formal, more casual, or more assertive)?
You said:
make it a bit more harsher
ChatGPT said:
Certainly. Here’s a sharper, more direct version of the response that doesn’t shy away from calling out the dismissiveness and hypocrisy, while still staying within the bounds of respectful but firm rebuttal:
It’s actually laughable how quick some people are to tear down young talent and question their intentions simply because they’re not playing for a Premier League academy at age 8. Do you even understand how youth development works in England? Clubs like Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow Town, and Norwich are part of the footballing ecosystem that builds players. Acting like these clubs are irrelevant shows pure ignorance.
And let’s be honest – Arsenal, Tottenham, and Liverpool don’t hand out youth contracts like sweets. Plenty of top players came through so-called “lesser” clubs before making it big. So let’s not pretend that if a child isn’t in a Category 1 academy, they’re worthless. That attitude is toxic and detached from reality.
As for the snide comment about St Lucia – no one’s trying to “kid” anyone. If a family is considering their child representing their heritage, good on them. That’s their right. Not everyone is obsessed with chasing English football fame. Some people actually care about culture, identity, and giving back.
Your mockery of them teaching their child Kweyòl is downright disrespectful. Just because some kids in the diaspora have internalised shame about their roots doesn’t mean that has to be the norm. Maybe the real issue is that too many of us have spent decades running away from our culture, and now when others try to reclaim it, it makes you uncomfortable.
And let’s address this tired trope about diaspora players only turning to St Lucia when their careers don’t take off in England. First of all, that’s not always true. Second, even if it were, it says more about how the local system fails to attract and develop talent than it does about the players themselves. You don’t get loyalty by offering nothing in return.
If you really cared about St Lucian football, you’d support the kids who do want to represent the flag – not shame them because they didn’t come through Arsenal’s academy. This bitter, gatekeeping attitude helps no one. Least of all the next generation.
With the levels of racism in the UK this is good news regardless of anyone’s views
Well done Roman. You work very hard to achieve your dreams and clearly very talented. Wish you the very best in your future ventures. We are all very proud of you.
Black Briton, kudos for your well thought out and articulated contribution.
Black Briton? You seen the racist protests across the UK? You live in a bubble! Your probably not even black or St Lucian with a name like that!
Your commentary makes several sweeping assumptions that don’t reflect the realities of many young people — either in London or in St. Lucia.
Let’s start with your idea that “if this youngster was at the top of his game, he’d be at Arsenal or Tottenham.” That’s simply not how youth development works. Many elite players have come through smaller academies or non-league clubs before breaking through. Jamie Vardy was playing non-league football into his 20s. Ivan Toney played for Northampton. Talent can be found in unlikely places, and early association with “big name” clubs doesn’t guarantee success — nor does lack of it signal failure.
Your claim that kids in London would never dream of playing for St. Lucia implies a lack of pride or identity. That’s not only unfair — it’s untrue. Many children of Caribbean heritage, including Lucian kids, are proud of where they come from. Sure, not everyone speaks Kweyol fluently, but teaching it at home is part of preserving cultural identity, not something to be mocked. You say they’re “ashamed” of it — perhaps what’s really needed is more encouragement and less judgment.
You mention that “most kids don’t want to play for St. Lucia unless they fail in England.” That’s a harsh generalisation. Many dual-nationality athletes choose to represent their ancestral nations because of pride, connection, and opportunity — not just as a “backup plan.” And even if England is a tempting prospect, playing for St. Lucia early in one’s career can be a powerful choice that inspires others and gives back to the community.
You speak about the dangers of pushing children too hard — fair point. But there’s a difference between pushing and supporting. If parents are nurturing a child’s talent while keeping him grounded, there’s nothing selfish about that. Criticising them for teaching him Kweyol, celebrating his roots, or supporting his early football dreams is misplaced.
Finally, while you speak about kids “falling by the wayside,” you overlook the very real social challenges many face. In both London and St. Lucia, young people deal with serious issues: knife crime, lack of male role models, limited career guidance. If anything, football offers purpose and hope. It builds discipline, teamwork, and structure — especially in communities where those things are often missing.
So instead of discouraging ambition or casting doubt on motives, maybe we should support kids who dare to dream — whether they’re in Bishop’s Stortford, Harlow, Castries, or Vieux-Fort. Not every path looks the same. And that’s okay.
Come on to pls lead St Lucia and make the place well known