Nicholson an inspiration to Trench Town – Price

Boys' Town FC president Andrew Price said that national striker Shamar Nicholson's first club trophy of his career was not only a personal triumph, but one that the community of Trench Town can be proud of.

Nicholson, a former Boys' Town player who plays for Russian club Spartak Moscow, came on as a second-half substitute as they defeated city rivals Dynamo Moscow 2-1 in the Russian Cup final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Sunday.

The team's triumph was Spartak's first Russian Cup victory since 2003, and their fourth overall. Nicholson scored three goals in four games during their championship run, all coming in their round-of-16 tie with Kuban Krasnodar on March 3.

Price, who coached Nicholson, says that his success has shown light to the possibility for the other young players coming out of the community.

"Shamar is an ambassador for Trench Town," Price said. "He showed that, with a fixity of purpose and proper discipline and focus, what can be achieved coming out of the community. So he has proven himself to be a great inspiration for a lot of the young players, and this is now another feather in his cap."

The reaction from the community could be felt as Nicholson went live on Instagram from Moscow during the trophy presentation for them to share in his celebrations. The victory was the culmination of a 2021-22 season which started in Belgium with RSC Charleroi and ended in Russia, signing with Spartak in December. He has scored eight goals, including five league goals, in all competitions this year.

Price said that he is not surprised that Nicholson settled into his new club quickly, and he is pleased with how far he has come in his professional journey.

"He has shown in Slovenia, he has shown in Belgium, and now he has shown in Russia that he can score goals," Price said. "And he is a quality individual and I am really happy with the progress and the leaps and bounds that he has improved over the period of time."

On the back of his title success, Nicholson will make his return to the national team for their Concacaf National League campaign which starts against Suriname on Saturday.