PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC)

Jamaica-born former England international John Barnes will be conducting scouting and coaching clinics in seven Caribbean countries, including Trinidad and Tobago, the T&T Football Federation (TTFF) announced yesterday.

Barnes was in Trinidad over the past two days and will return next month to begin the clinic, which is being hosted by Digicel.

The exercise will present opportunities for some of the region's best Under-20 players to earn a chance to train with English Premiership club Sunderland, TTFF stated.

Barnes, whose father is Trinidadian, appeared excited as he described the Caribbean as an untapped market for football talent.

"I'm going to be here for the programme to look at the talent and try and give opportunities for young players in the Caribbean," Barnes said.

"We will be in seven of the islands running five-day clinics with Under-20 teams and choosing the best players to go to Sunderland for a week to train at the professional club," Barnes explained.

Referring to the Caribbean as an untapped market, Barnes said: "You see what happened in Africa 20 to 30 years ago when a lot of the people were slow to recognise the talent, England particularly were slow. This (the Caribbean) is an untapped market.

"You see Jamaica qualifying for the World Cup in 1998 and then the Soca Warriors qualifying for the last World Cup, Kenwyne Jones now and from Dwight Yorke days you see a lot of talent coming out but it needs to be harnessed and given an opportunity," said Barnes, a former standout for top English club Liverpool.

"In England now, they recognise the fact that although Africa is saturated, this is the next place where you are going to get the next talent coming out to hopefully grace the Premier League," said Barnes, who was schooled in Jamaica before moving to England as a 13-year-old.