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Mount Pleasant say Stewart ready to go in Italy
August 18, 2023
Trivante Stewart officially became the first domestically bred player to ply his trade in the Italian Seria A after he completed his medical and put pen to paper with US Salernitana 1909 on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old, who had a stellar season with Jamaica Premier League (JPL) champions Mount Pleasant Football Academy, where he led them with 15 goals, has signed for three years with an option for a further year.
Mount Pleasant general manager Paul Christie told STAR Sports that they are humbled to be part of history and confident of Stewart being successful in the Italian league.
"We are happy to be a part of this journey, and we see him going all the way. We back the kid. We know he will adapt, and the sky's the limit.
"We had a lot of offers from all over Europe, and we are expecting great things, that he will not only represent the Mount Pleasant brand, but the Jamaica brand as well," Christie said.
Stewart does not speak the language, but Christie said the player intends to make his football speaks for him and expects his success in the league to open more doors for Mount Pleasant and Jamaican players.
"I watched the interview with him when he was presented, and he said he is anxious to play and sees the passion the people of Salernitana and Italians have for football.
"He intends to matriculate into the system and go on and represent Mount Pleasant and brand Jamaica," he continued.
"The possibilities are endless, and we hope to solidify our partnership with the club and the Italian League. So this is not just a transfer. It is one of the many partnerships Mount Pleasant are forging with teams in Europe, and we expect to see more deals of this nature going forward."
Along with Stewart, Mount Pleasant recently transferred midfield dynamo Demario Phillips to Dynamo Kyiv, and despite losing key pieces of last season's winning team, Christie believes they are laying the foundation for Mount Pleasant to maximise their potential on and off the field.
"We are replenishing the squad. We know we have some of the better talent in Jamaica, but where the business aspect is concerned, we are not only trying to win the championships, we are trying to develop partnerships as well.
"We have made some good acquisitions, and we may only look to keep them for a year or two seasons before we look to move them to Europe or the America market, but we want to continue to improve on that and bring football to another level in this country," Christie said.
"I wish Trivante all the best. We back him a hundred per cent. We are only expecting good things. We are looking forward to watching him in the Serie A."
