Jaylon Bather becomes the latest in a line of Bermudian imports to make it into the Ilkeston FC first team.
After featuring in Paul Holland’s squad during pre-season, he was expected to take his place in the squad at the start of the NPL campaign, but hold ups with his international clearance kept him on the side-lines for longer than expected.
With his clearance now complete, Holland is free to include him and will be looking for him to make the same impact in the league, as he did in pre-season.
Jaylon (23) worked his way through the ranks in Bermuda to play in their top division and also through the international set up from the under 15s to become a full international, representing his country in Caribbean Cup and World Cup qualifiers.
Speaking to Jaylon yesterday, he is keen to make his league debut and talked about the difference in standards of football between Bermuda and the NPL:
“I played for Somerset Eagles first team when I was 16 and won promotion to the Premier Division with them in my first season. I left there and moved to BAA, they played in the first division. Before I came to England, I was playing for Robin Hood FC along with Tevahn Tyrell, we won the Bermudan FA Cup last season.”
“I played with Nahki Wells at Bermuda Hoggs before he made it as a professional, this was in the Player Development League, the league runs for a couple of months over the summer break from college.”
“I’ve always wanted to have a go at becoming a pro footballer and it seemed as though coming to Ilkeston was my best chance of this. I’d like to make my home in England and play in the football league. I feel that if I work hard and put the effort into this, I can make it happen.
Jaylon has a 10 month old son back in Bermuda and the decision to come to England wasn’t an easy one for him to make: “Leaving him was the toughest decision I’ve made in my life and not seeing him for months is really hard. The way I look at it is that I’m doing this for his future as much as my own, if this works out I can create a better life for him as well as myself. It would be nice to go home around Christmas, but it now looks like it will be the end of the season before I get to go back home.”
This isn’t the first time that Jaylon has left home, at the age of 19 he moved to America and spent two years at college in Albany, Georgia playing for Darton State College: “It was tough at first being away from my family, but I really wanted to get off the island for a while and try something new.”
Jaylon finished by talking about the differences between Bermudan & English football: “Back home football isn’t professional, so to come to Ilkeston where this is people’s full time work was a big difference to me and the standard of football is better here is as well.”
“Now we’re seeing a lot more young players looking to move away from the island to play their football in America and Europe, my generation is definitely looking to spread their wings further afield.”
Does Jaylon wish he’d had the opportunity at an earlier age: “Around four years ago, this wasn’t really an option, its only in the last couple of years that it’s started to happen more and I wish I’d had the chance earlier in my career and maybe I’d be playing in the pro game by now.”
“I think that with so many young players moving away to play their football will help our national side as well, it helps you grow stronger as a person as well as a player.”
He finished by talking about his ambition for the coming season: “I just want to stay fit and healthy and force my way into the first team and prove to the team and the fans that I’m worthy of wearing the shirt and if I play well enough and we do well as a team, somebody may spot me and I could maybe get a move to a higher league.”
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