Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sport

THE first wasn't all that hot. So it is quite understandable why Demar Phillips is looking forward to action in the next title challenge in the Norwegian football premiership.

Phillips, a left-sided Jamaican midfielder, just completed the first of a three-year contract for Aalisund, which ended 13th of 16th in the championship.

"It's not good for the team but I hope next season will be much, much better," he said.

"It's a good team, we've good individuals," added Phillips, saying it took a while before he really begun to pick up his game.

"It took me a while to get adjusted to what they were doing at Aalisund, but after I started to gel with the players and coach it was great going forward," the nippy player told The Gleaner in a recent interview.

A St Thomas native, Phillips paraded his skills for Seaforth High in the rural schoolboy football daCosta Cup competition in the early years of his career.

He later played for York, a Division One team in the parish, before transferring to east rural St Andrew team Bull Bay. With the advancement of his game, Calvert Fitzgerald, who has coached a number of Premier League teams, used his influence to introduce Phillips to top-flight contenders Waterhouse Football Club.

While there, the skilful 26-year-old further advanced his stocks with some telling contributions in the Drewsland club's championship success, and later a place in the national unit, where he sometimes doubles as a full-back.

Phillips' versatility and quality enabled him to cement his place in the Jamaica team, which opened the door to a contract with English Premier League club Stoke City.

However, he was not getting much playing time at Stoke and left.

Frustrating

"When I was at Stoke I wasn't playing," remarked Phillips. "I know I was good enough to get in the first team but I wasn't getting any game. It was frustrating because you want to be playing week in, week out."

Reminiscing, the small-bodied Phillips reckons the team's rough and tumble, direct style negated his chances somewhat at the English team.

Now that he is a regular starter at Aalisund and getting in tune with the players and systems, he believes there are promising signs and real proof that things can get better.

"We won a cup last season - the knockout title - which is a bonus for the team and me."

No doubt he is looking forward to next season.