Golden Jaguars U20 Captain and former Fruta Conquerors winger Nicholas MacArthur has confirmed his transfer to Elite League rival Santos FC following the conclusion of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) June-July Transfer Period.
This was confirmed by MacArthur during an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday.
According to MacArthur, 19, the decision to swap the two-time defending national champions for Santos was done as an avenue to secure a different challenge and a change of scenery.
He added, “I moved on my own. I wanted to try a different club to see how things go and if their style is similar to mine. I wanted to try a new style. I have played for Fruta Conquerors for seven years and wanted to try something new and see what they (Santos) can bring to the table. It’s the same level, nothing doesn’t change because both clubs are the same in the competitive sense so it’s not step back or a step forward.”
The wily attacker has been capped twice at the senior international level with appearances against Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica. He has also featured three times for the U17 setup, and has made seven appearances with the U20 programme.
MacArthur revealed that he chose Santos because the club was similar in nature to his previous team, as they emphasize and place a strong prominence on youth development and emerging players. He added, “Santos is mostly a youth club just like Conquerors. It’s me staying with my age group again. It’s just the same and at least I could play with the seniors and play with the juniors. It’s a competitive move.”
Asked if he believes that his current club can compete for the Elite League title he answered in the affirmative.
“I think we can compete, that will happen, everything is about hard work, determination and dedication as well as discipline both on and off the field. We have the quality, once the coach does his work, we will do our work.”
MacArthur revealed that he is looking forward to locking horns with his former team, adding, “It will happen, and I have to play against them because we are in the same league and could also play them at the same junior level. I have to beat them.”
Guyana’s first transfer window, based on the official FIFA Worldwide Registration Periods Calendar, transpired between the dates of June 1st 2020-July 31st 2020. This applies to all three aspects of the Season which are the Men, Women and Amateur categories. Meanwhile, the second transfer or registration date will ensue from January 1st 2021-January 31st 2021. This also relates to all three categories.
