Tuesday, April 6 2010
Trinidad and Tobago Newsday
NORTH EAST Stars have signed former Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Leslie ‘Tiger’ Fitzpatrick and a free agent, Jamaican striker Sean Fraser, for the 2010 season.
North East Stars, who will be sponsored by DirecTV, are returning to the Digicel Pro League having opted out of the 2009 campaign due to the lack of a proper home venue as well as financial woes.
Fitzpatrick spent part of the 2008 season with North East Stars, and he will be re-uniting with his former national team-mate, and now club Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Brent Sancho.
“I have known Tiger for a long time and played both alongside him and against him,” said Sancho. “He has a great first touch and superb work rate. He will be a popular addition to the team.”
The 31-year-old Fitzpatrick, a former St Mary’s College and Columbia University standout, have the experience of 26 national appearances, at the “senior” level, from 2004 to 2007. He had stints for a number of clubs, locally and in the United States, including A-League teams Cincinnati Riverhawks (2002), Columbus Shooting Stars (2003) and Atlanta Silverbacks (2004), MLS squad Real Salt Lake (2005-2006), United Soccer League (USL) team Puerto Rico Islanders (2006), W Connection (in the 2007 Pro League) and USL First Division team Rochester Rhinos (2008-2009). Fraser is a 27-year-old who previously played for his native clubs Harbour View (2000-2004) and Hazard United (2004-2006) before moving to Miami FC in the USL First Division from 2006-2008, where he netted 11 goals in 68 games.
He had a brief loan stint in Boavista, Brazil before moving to the Puerto Rico Islanders in January 2009 — he netted three goals in 23 appearances.
Fraser has also played in the 1999 FIFA Under-17 World Championships in New Zealand and the 2001 FIFA World Youth (Under-20) Championships. But he has struggled at the ‘senior’ level, having only earned three international caps.