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Eddie Chikamhi Sports Reporter
LIVERPOOL legend John Barnes has pointed to his former Liverpool teammate and ex-Zimbabwe goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar as a model for local players aspiring to make it big overseas.
The former England forward, who now works as a pundit on SuperSport and is involved in charity work, was in Zimbabwe on a two-day visit.
Barnes met various Liverpool supporters, signed autographs and conducted a training session with children at the Harare International School under the auspices of Liverpool sponsors Standard Chartered Bank.

“Bruce is an example of what can be achieved coming from Africa. You know what happens with football.
“You will get recognition and praise and rewards and more respect if you come from footballing countries. So, therefore, if you are Brazilian and you can’t play football you can get a contract because you are Brazilian.

“This is different with African players and it was so hard for African players, because you come from Zimbabwe or Nigeria. But Bruce had this desire and determination to succeed.

“Bruce was a fantastic goalkeeper. Bruce was a very naturally talented goalkeeper.  In fact, he was a naturally talented sportsman.
“He could play cricket, he could play rugby. He had the determination to forge a career for himself.

“Not just Bruce but a lot of all the African players who have had to come to Europe to make a career, it’s a good testimony because you can see the long journey they have to take,” said Barnes.

He noted that things have changed now.
“Football has changed these days whereby African players can move straight from Africa, particularly West African players, say to Real Madrid or Barcelona,” said Barnes.

“But for Bruce, he had to start off at Vancouver and then played for Crew in League One and that built the character to then say I want to make it as a footballer.

“If I can’t get to the top level straight-way I am willing to do what it takes to get there. So Bruce is a good ambassador for Africa in terms of quality, the desire and the determination necessary to make it as a footballer.

“You have to have that determination to either play here or be willing to go to Canada to play at Vancouver before coming to England to play in the lower division. That’s the character you need so that when the opportunity to go to a big team comes you will have that desire.”
Barnes said the journey to the professional leagues, like England, was tougher for African players in the past.

“If you look at it from a chronological point of view, black players in the 1970s may have gone through a period of not just discrimination but of misconceptions about their abilities playing in some positions.

“So, for example, in the ‘70s black players had to be wingers, they had to be centre forwards where they would run without having to think too much.

“They were not thought of being capable of handling positions of responsibility such as goalkeepers, defensive mid-fielders, centre-backs – but all those myths were dispelled.

“In the 1980s they could play all positions – goalkeepers, defenders, defensive mid-fielders and strikers. That myth was dispelled.”
Barnes arrived on Wednesday and had a session with children at the Harare International School.

“I, myself, am from Jamaica, I have gone to South East Asia and have gone to a lot of developing countries whereby they have lots of challenges but it’s up to the children to be dedicated, to be disciplined.

“Everybody has a talent but it’s not the same talent and to make it to the top you have to be disciplined, to be dedicated, to have the right attitude, to have the right mentality and to have your preparation.

“I always say this to my own children. I am very fortunate I was able to give them a fantastic education and there are two doctors in my family. Well that’s the environment they were brought up in and they still have to maximise their potential.

“I say preparation is the most important thing. In football analogy when you see, all these kids who love Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, well they put in a lot of work to make it to the top.

“When we see people at the top we just assume that they woke up and all of a sudden they fantastic and they are brilliant.  When we see Messi and Ronaldo playing the way they do you don’t see what goes into their work Monday to Friday to make sure that they can maintain that.
“The same when you take an exam. You need preparation.

“You don’t pass an exam on the day that you take but you pass the exam in the preparation leading up to it,” said Barnes.
With the 2014 World Cup beckoning, Barnes believes African teams have the talent to challenge for big things on the world stage but success can only be achieved if there is a change of mentality on how to approach the game on the continent.

The 50-year old pundit tipped Ghana to be one of the successful teams from the continent at the World Cup.
“Pele said it could take an African country to win the World Cup the next 20 years and he said that about 30 years ago. It was what Pele saw, the typical attributes that African players have and physically they can compete with anyone.

“What he probably didn’t take into consideration is the mentality necessary to win the World Cup because it’s not about the physical ability, it’s about the mentality.

“And I suppose that is where Africa and developing footballing countries, of which Jamaica is one of them, have to improve.
“If you look the likes of Didier Drogba, from an athletic point of view we can compete but the mentality is important.”