Diel Spring
{{Short description|Vincentian footballer}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Diel Spring
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|fullname = Diel Reon Spring
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|12|26|df=y}}
|birth_place = Chateaubelair, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|height = 1.69 m
|position = Midfielder
|currentclub = North Leeward Predators
|clubnumber =
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 = North Leeward Predators
|years1 = 2017–2020
|clubs1 = North Leeward Predators
|caps1 =
|goals1 =
|years2 = 2020–2021
|clubs2 = {{ill|Wisła Sandomierz|pl}}
|caps2 = 11
|goals2 = 0
|years3 = 2021–2022
|clubs3 = Podlasie Biała Podlaska
|caps3 = 31
|goals3 = 2
|years4 = 2023–
|clubs4 = North Leeward Predators
|caps4 =
|goals4 =
|nationalyears1 =
|nationalteam1 = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines U17{{cite news|url=https://www.iwnsvg.com/2016/07/18/svg-confident-ahead-of-u17-play-offs/|title=SVG confident ahead of U17 play-offs|work=iWitness News|date=18 July 2016|access-date=31 October 2020}}
|nationalcaps1 =
|nationalgoals1 =
|nationalyears2 = 2018
|nationalteam2 = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines U20
|nationalcaps2 = 5
|nationalgoals2 = 0
|nationalyears3 = 2018–
|nationalteam3 = Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|nationalcaps3 = 29
|nationalgoals3 = 2
|club-update = 22 June 2023
|nationalteam-update = 8 September 2024
}}
Diel Reon Spring (born December 26, 2000) is a Vincentian footballer who plays as a midfielder for North Leeward Predators and the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national team.
Early years
Spring hails from the village of Chateaubelair.[https://globalsportsarchive.com/people/soccer/diel-spring/274347/ Diel Spring] at Global Sports Archive{{cite news|url=https://www.iwnsvg.com/2017/04/24/flow-puts-vincy-youth-footballers-in-play-for-manu-trip/|title=FLOW puts Vincy youth footballers in play for ManU trip|work=iWitness News|date=April 24, 2017|access-date=August 2, 2019}} His mother is a chef and his father is a construction worker while his grandparents were farmers.{{cite news|url=https://igol.pl/diel-spring-agent-rozeslal-video-do-klubow-z-polski-dlatego-dostalem-szanse-wywiad/|title=Diel Spring: „Agent rozesłał video do klubów z Polski. Dlatego dostałem szansę” [WYWIAD]|work=iGol|first=Piotr|last=Szymula|access-date=6 June 2022|language=pl}}
Spring led St Martin’s Secondary School to a junior division title in the 2015 Secondary Schools’ Football Competition, scoring a brace in the final.{{cite news|url=http://testwp09.newsmemory.com/searchlight/news/sports/2015/12/22/st-martins-secondary-break-football-title-drought/|title=St Martin's Secondary break football title drought|work=The Searchlight|publisher=newsmemory.com|date=December 22, 2015|access-date=August 7, 2020}} The following year he was named best midfielder of the Barrouallie Football League under-17 division as a member of the North Leeward Predators youth set-up.{{cite news|url=http://thevincentian.com/barrouallie-football-league-concludes-p12087-139.htm|title=Barrouallie Football League Concludes|work=The Vincentian|date=November 25, 2016|access-date=August 7, 2020}}
He also participated in sports such as athletics and cricket.
Club career
During the 2017 season in the second-tier SVGFF First Division, Spring helped the Predators finish the regular season undefeated and reach the championship final,{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tabless/stvin2017.html|title=Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2017|work=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=August 2, 2019}} where he scored the opening goal of the match as they defeated Largo Height via penalty shoot-out.{{cite news|url=http://thevincentian.com/north-leeward-predators-national-first-division-football-champs-p13555-139.htm|title=North Leeward Predators: National First Division Football Champs|work=The Vincentian|date=June 30, 2017|access-date=August 2, 2019}} He was nominated for Youth Male Player of the Year at the 2017 National Football Awards.{{cite news|url=http://www.sportcaraibe.com/breaking-news/2017-national-football-awards-set-for-wednesday/|title=2017 National Football Awards set for Wednesday|work=Sport Caraibe|date=May 8, 2018|access-date=August 2, 2019|archive-date=August 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190802092032/http://www.sportcaraibe.com/breaking-news/2017-national-football-awards-set-for-wednesday/|url-status=dead}} That same year, he and future international teammate Joel Quashie were chosen as the winners of a Caribbean Football Union- and Manchester United-backed skills-based competition for young talents, earning invitations to a talent development camp in Trinidad and Tobago.{{cite news|url=http://testwp05.tecnavia.com/searchlight/news/front-page/2017/04/25/leeward-youths-win-flow-skills-based-competition/|title=Leeward youths win FLOW skills-based competition|work=The Searchlight|date=April 25, 2017|access-date=August 2, 2019}}
The next season, Spring captained the Predators to a runner-up league finish in the SVGFF Premier Division and a Knock Out Cup title.{{cite news|url=https://issuu.com/thevincentian/docs/vin_pages-07-08-20-for_web|title=Diel Spring signs with new club|work=The Vincentian|publisher=Issuu|page=20|date=August 7, 2020|access-date=August 7, 2020}} He recorded a brace against Bequia United in week 10,{{cite news|url=http://thevincentian.com/premier-division-football-heating-up-p16350-139.htm|title=Premier Division Football Heating Up|work=The Vincentian|date=January 25, 2019|access-date=August 2, 2019}} and repeated the feat against System 3 in week 17. He finished the season with a hat-trick in a 4–1 win against Largo Height on the final match-day. At the end of the year he was named Best Midfielder at the National Football Awards.{{cite news|url=https://thevincentian.com/top-footballersofficials-rewarded-p18335-139.htm|title=Top Footballers/Officials Rewarded|work=The Vincentian|date=November 15, 2019|access-date=August 7, 2020}}
In the summer of 2020, he signed a deal with {{ill|Wisła Sandomierz|pl}} in the Polish III liga.{{cite news|url=https://searchlight.vc/searchlight/sports/2020/08/07/diel-spring-in-polands-football-setup/|title=Diel Spring in Poland's football setup|work=The Searchlight|date=August 7, 2020|access-date=August 7, 2020}}{{cite news|url=https://gol24.pl/3-liga-ciekawy-transfer-wisly-sandomierz-zagra-w-niej-diel-spring-reprezentant-saint-vincent-i-grenadyny/ar/c2-15107344|title=3 liga. Ciekawy transfer Wisły Sandomierz. Zagra w niej Diel Spring, reprezentant Saint Vincent i Grenadyny|work=gol24.pl|date=July 31, 2020|access-date=August 7, 2020|language=pl}} He admits his time at the club was not ideal, having only played a few matches due to injuries and other problems.
On 26 July 2021, Spring moved to another III liga side, Podlasie Biała Podlaska.{{cite news |title=Diel Spring w Podlasiu Biała Podlaska|url=https://www.slowopodlasia.pl/artykul/13388,diel-spring-w-podlasiu-biala-podlaska |work=Słowo Podlasia |access-date=6 June 2022 |language=pl |date=27 July 2021}} Here he was coached by Rafał Borysiuk, brother of Ariel Borysiuk.
International career
=Youth team=
In November 2018, he represented the national under-20 team at the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, playing in all five matches.{{cite news|url=http://thevincentian.com/things-looking-up-for-u-footballers-p16140-139.htm|title=Things Looking Up For U-20 Footballers|work=The Vincentian|date=November 16, 2018|access-date=August 3, 2019}}
=Senior team=
On 8 September 2018, Spring made his debut for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the qualifying rounds of the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League against Nicaragua. He came on as a halftime substitution for Wendell Cuffy in the 2–0 defeat at home. He was called up again later that month, earning his second international cap three weeks later during a friendly against a Barbados XI made up mostly of under-20 players preparing for the 2018 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. He came on after halftime yet again, this time for Brad Richards, in the 1–1 draw.{{cite news|url=http://caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/misc/saintvincentandthegrenadinesvsbarbados9302018.html|title=SVG draw with Barbados XI|work=Caribbean Football Database|date=September 30, 2018|access-date=August 3, 2019}} He made two further appearances in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying to finish the year.
In February 2019, Spring was named to the 20-man squad selected to play at the 2019 Windward Islands Tournament on home soil.{{cite news|url=https://searchlight.vc/searchlight/sports/2019/02/26/vincy-heat-ready-for-wifa-challenges/|title=Vincy Heat ready for WIFA challenges|work=The Searchlight|date=February 26, 2019|access-date=August 3, 2019}} He played in all four matches as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines won their fifth title.{{cite news|url=http://thevincentian.com/vincy-heat-takes-windwards-title-p16709-144.htm|title=Vincy Heat Takes Windwards Title|work=The Vincentian|date=March 15, 2019|access-date=August 3, 2019}}
Career statistics
= International =
{{updated|matches played 8 September 2024.}}{{NFT player|id=71836|accessdate=}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="6"|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
|2018 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 1 | |
| colspan=2|Total | 29 | 2 |
Honours
=Club=
;Fitz Hughes Predators
- Knock Out Cup: 2019
- SVGFF First Division: 2017{{cite news|url=https://searchlight.vc/searchlight/sports/2017/06/30/north-leeward-predators-take-national-first-division-football-title/|title=North Leeward Predators take national First Division football title|work=The Searchlight|date=June 30, 2017|access-date=August 2, 2019}}
=Individual=
=International=
;Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/saintvincentandthegrenadines/players/dielspring.html Diel Spring] at Caribbean Football Database
- {{NFT|71836}}
- {{Soccerway|571081}}
- {{WorldFootball.net|diel-spring}}
- {{90minut|41782}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spring, Diel}}
Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines men's footballers
Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines expatriate men's footballers
Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines expatriate sportspeople in Poland
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Poland
Category:People from Saint David Parish, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines men's youth international footballers
Category:Saint Vincent and the Grenadines men's under-20 international footballers