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Clan Carthy’s young gem seeks to carve out future in football
September 18, 2026
At just 15 years old, Dejorn Lewis is already in his second season of the ISSA Manning Cup, competing against players several years his senior while trying to carve out a future in football.
Despite his age, the Clan Carthy midfielder and winger said he is unfazed by the challenge of playing in the Manning Cup.
What he lacks in physicality, he more than makes up for in talent and determination, and he already holds the distinction as one of Clan Carthy’s key players.
He has earned praises from his head coach Nallawe Blake, who said Lewis represents a talented generation of young players at the school.
Blake also said Lewis has technical ability far beyond his years and the coach is focused on ensuring he continues to develop in their programme.
He, however, admitted that the main weakness in Lewis’ game is his size, as the coach explained he is smaller than players his age.
“He’s just 15 but he already played the Manning Cup last year because, as you can see, his first touch, his movement on and off the ball, is better than anybody on the field,” Blake said.
“He can actually play U16 again so he’s an exceptional talent. But I don’t know if it’s his body, because you know when scouts look, they look at players with more body,” he continued.
“But he’s a very good player, that’s all I can say. He’s a bright boy and a very good player.”
BIG DREAMS
For Lewis, playing in the Manning Cup is the first step towards his dream of one day becoming a professional player.
While he does not have a club that he plays for, Lewis said he hopes to play overseas and believes schoolboy football can help him on that journey.
“I want to go overseas to play football,” Lewis said.
For now, Lewis is focused on helping Clan Carthy compete in the Manning Cup despite their current struggles.
The team are without a point after back-to-back defeats in their opening game of the first round.
Lewis is hopeful they can turn their season around and mount a charge for a spot in the second round.
“I don’t like losing,” Lewis said. “Anytime we lose we don’t feel good so we want to win and we want to go far.”
Clan Carthy’s next game will see them travel to Papine High as they continue the hunt for their first win of the season.
