Affectionately known as “Spiderman”, Akademiks’ goalkeeper Romayne Primus gave such a superhuman performance throughout the LIME Pelican Football Challenge that he was the popular choice for the $10 000 Most Valuable Player award.
Primus, 27, was predictably also named Best Goalkeeper after conceding a mere three goals and keeping six clean sheets in eight matches.
Having made several superb saves in the group matches, Primus was also brilliant between the uprights in the knockout stages, following the path of another goalkeeper, Kerry Holder of Nu Look 360 Connection, who was named MVP in last year’s inaugural tournament.
The magnificent goalkeeping was one of the reasons why Akademiks won the $100 000 first prize with a 1-0 victory over Phoenix UFO Toyota Fire House in the Independence Day final at Kensington Oval.
“It (award) feels good but unexplainable. Honestly, not only me but the entire team was excellent. We played and gelled together and we peaked at the right moment – not too early, not too late, just right,” he said.
Primus credited coach Kenville “Kab” Layne for his success.
“To me, from my heart, ‘Kab’ Layne is the best coach in Barbados and I give a lot of credit to the coach,” Primus said. “We have done a lot of goal-keeping drills and he has motivated me fully.”
Primus, a former reserve goalkeeper in the Barbados Under-23 team to Omari Eastmond and Kareem Farrell, said he was very disappointed about being constantly ignored for national senior duty and still wanted to represent his country.
“I’m here waiting,” he said.
Primus reckoned his was a special performance to keep out the likes of Paul “Soup” Lovell, Norman Forde, Ricky Barnes and Jason “Fowlie” Blackman in the final.
“Obviously, it was a swing in the park. I can’t call it a walk in the park. I look at every game as a tough game. I don’t underestimate anybody and always put my best hands forward,” he said.
Primus, a former Eden Stars player, said he would be sticking with Pinelands in the 2013 Barbados Football Association season even though he has had offers to play for other teams.
