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EXCITING Zimbabwe youth international midfielder Calum English-Brown was hoping to make a full explosion on the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League when joined last year’s runners-up Chicken Inn at the start of the season.
English-Brown, nicknamed the “White Lion” by adoring WhaWha fans after turning on the style for the now relegated Prisons outfit last year, was on the radar of Dynamos.
Some of the Dynamos fans, charmed by his dazzling shows, had even pledged to try and bring him to the Harare giants.
Dynamos, who reportedly dragged their feet, were however, beaten to English-Brown’s signature by Chicken Inn, whose then coach Joey Antipas moved swiftly to lure the Young Warriors international to the Gamecocks.
But what appeared a dream move for the 22-year-old has far turned into a nightmare at Chicken Inn.
Chicken Inn insiders revealed that English-Brown is among a few players around whom Antipas was planning to build his side around who have been frozen.
The Gamecocks were forced into a reshuffle of their coaching department after Antipas fell afoul of a ZIFA/Premier Soccer League requirement that only those with CAF A badges could take charge of the top-flight clubs.
This saw Antipas being elevated to club technical director while his assistant Prince Matore was elevated into the head coach’s position.
Sources said Matore in a bid to “be his own man” has largely ignored those players brought to the club by Antipas.
“Players like Calum are mere victims of circumstances,” the sources said.
“After finishing runners-up last year, Antipas had planned on building a much younger squad that would revolve around the talents of English-Brown and other players but then changes were made to the coaching department.
“So when Prince came in he sought to prove that he was his own man and he has changed things around and as a result some players have hardly seen game time under him.
“Yes at some point Calum was injured but he long recovered and has been doing very well at training that even his teammates are baffled as to what is happening but it seems every team or club always has its internal politics and this is clearly the case here.”
Despite recovering from an ankle injury, English-Brown who last year hogged the limelight during his exciting duels with Dynamos’ Bill Antonio has hardly tasted Premiership action.
In fact, since fully recovering after Week 8 fixtures the “White Lion” has been frozen out only featuring in 16 minutes in the seven games that the Gamecocks have played.
Matore, while acknowledging English-Brown’s talent, has been insisting that the player is yet to reach the level of fitness that he demands of his players.
“Calum is such a gifted player but it’s only that he has been having challenges with fitness.
“He was unfortunately injured and this meant that unlike most of his teammates he did not have a real pre-season to talk about.
“But we have been working on him and I have been emphasizing to him the need to work harder in order to meet the demands of the Premiership,” Matore said.
With his coach seemingly not convinced that he is not yet fully primed for the top-flight game, English-Brown has had to contend with being frozen out of the same league for which he made an impact while turning out for WhaWha last year.
The unassuming English-Brown has, however, maintained that he would continue to put in the shift at training.
He told The Herald in an earlier interview that he would continue to patiently wait for his chance to line up in the Chicken Inn creative hub. “I’ve had substitute appearances against Simba Bhora, Manica Diamonds and Herentals and it’s been all good as I am gradually getting back to the level I want to be.
“The environment at Chicken Inn is super, especially now that the team is winning games. In any team it can be a bit difficult at first but I feel as though I fit in well with my teammates and the environment there.
“Of course a player is only happy when he’s playing so that’s what I’m working towards at the moment,” English-Brown said.
With the Gamecocks still to win since the Premiership programme resumed after a three-week break, Matore may be forced to swallow his pride and unleash the winger when Chicken Inn date resurgent Yadah at Baobab tomorrow.
Online Reporter