Kevin Jeffrey

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Kevin Jeffrey

| image = KevinJeffrey.jpg

| image_size = 180

| caption = Jeffrey in 2007

| height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1974|10|04}}{{Cite web|title=Trinidad and Tobago – K. Jeffrey – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/kevin-jeffrey/129638/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=int.soccerway.com}}

| birth_place = Trincity, Trinidad and Tobago

| currentclub =

| position = Forward

| youthyears1 = 1996–1997

| youthclubs1 = Yavapai Roughriders

| youthyears2 = 1998–1999

| youthclubs2 = VCU Rams

| years1 = 2000

| years2 = 2000

| years3 = 2001–2005

| years4 = 2005

| years5 = 2006

| years6 = 2007

| clubs1 = San Juan Jabloteh F.C.

| clubs2 = Bay Area Seals

| clubs3 = Richmond Kickers

| clubs4 = → North East Stars F.C. (loan)

| clubs5 = Toronto Lynx

| clubs6 = Carolina RailHawks

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 24

| caps3 = 124

| caps4 =

| caps5 = 22

| caps6 = 14

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 12

| goals3 = 40

| goals4 =

| goals5 = 9

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 184

| totalgoals = 61

| nationalyears1 = 2003

| nationalteam1 = Trinidad and Tobago

| nationalcaps1 = 1

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Kevin Jeffrey (born 4 October 1974 in Trincity, Trinidad and Tobago) is a former professional football (soccer) forward who spent eight seasons in the USL First Division. After his playing career, he became a football manager.

After a successful college-level experience, he was drafted first overall by the San Francisco Bay Seals, making his professional debut in 2000.{{Cite news |last=Stinson |first=Dan |date=29 July 2000 |title=Tilley, Mobilio tally as 86ers topple Seals |pages=D15 |work=Vancouver Sun}} Good form led to an international call-up in 2000, after he was signed by Richmond Kickers in 2001.{{Cite news |last=Stinson |first=Dan |date=3 August 2001 |title=Lyall expects big challenge tonight |pages=D2 |work=Vancouver Sun}} It was at Richmond where Jeffrey was able to establish himself as a consistent striker with a proven track record. Received several Team of the Week, and Player of the Week selections and led Richmond to claim their second Conference title. Once the Kickers were relegated, Jeffrey finished off his career with stints in Toronto and Carolina.

Youth level

He started playing amateur soccer with Yavapai Junior College in 1997, where he led Yavapai to a National Junior College Athletic Association championship.{{Cite web|title=Kevin Jeffrey.|url=http://socawarriors.net/archive/kevin_jeffrey.htm|access-date=2020-10-04|website=socawarriors.net}}{{Cite web |last=Flick |first=Jon |title=Trinidad and Yavapai |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/college-news/5751-trinidad-and-yavapai.html |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Soca Warriors Online – Trinidad and Tobago Football |publisher=Daily Courier |language=en-gb}} He earned the first-team Junior College All-American honors and was named Junior College Player of the Year.{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Oliver |title=Celebrating Black History Month: Kevin Jeffrey, the Trinidadian talisman |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/foreign-based-news/23522-celebrating-black-history-month-kevin-jeffrey-the-trinidadian-talisman.html |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=Soca Warriors Online – Trinidad and Tobago Football |language=en-gb}} Later on, he would go and play NCAA soccer with Virginia Commonwealth University for two years, being named to the first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association team both years.{{Cite news |last=L. Williams |first=Jennifer |date=12 November 1998 |title=Leader in the box |pages=9 |work=Daily Press}}{{Cite news |date=15 November 1999 |title=Big first half lifts W&M to CAA crown |pages=9 |work=Daily Press}} And won the Virginia State Player of the Year in 1999 and third-team NSCAA All-American.{{Cite news |date=23 December 1999 |title=Indoor soccer team drafts ODU star |pages=9 |work=Daily Press}} He tallied 29 goals and 7 assists in 38 games for the Rams and hold their school record for most goals in a season with 18, a mark that was once held by John Dugan with 17 in 1987.

In 2009, he was inducted into the NJCAA hall of fame along with footballer Stern John.{{Cite news |last=Hirigoyen |first=David |date=18 July 2009 |title=Stern John & Kevin Jeffrey elected to the NJCAA Soccer Hall of Fame |work=The Daily Courier |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/foreign-based-news/5701-stern-john-a-kevin-jeffrey-elected-to-the-njcaa-soccer-hall-of-fame.html |access-date=10 April 2022}}

Playing career

=A-League=

He was the first overall pick in the 2000 A-League draft by the San Francisco Bay Seals where he recorded 12 goals and 3 assists as a rookie and finished as the club's top goal scorer.{{Cite web|date=2019-04-22|title=404 – Page Not Found|url=https://www.sportsengine.com/404|access-date=2020-10-04|website=SportsEngine|language=en}} He earlier played in the TT Pro League with San Juan Jabloteh F.C.

When the ownership of San Francisco went on hiatus in 2001 Jeffrey remained in the A-League by signing with league rivals Richmond Kickers.{{Cite news |last=Stinson |first=Dan |date=27 July 2001 |title=Midfield suits 'Caps Titus: Since moving from sweeper to midfield six games ago, the 32-year-old Toronto native has become the Vancouver Whitecaps premier playmaker |pages=D5 |work=Vancouver Sun}}{{Cite news |last=Huggins |first=Harold |date=5 May 2001 |title=Metros lose in final seconds |pages=5 |work=The Tennessean}} In his first season with the club, he led the Kickers in goals and points, scoring 20 goals, adding 9 assists, and was named Team of the Week twice.{{Cite web|url=http://soccerstats.us/bios/kevin-jeffrey/|title=Kevin Jeffrey {{!}} SoccerStats.us|website=soccerstats.us|access-date=2019-10-11}} He also assisted the club in winning the Central Conference title and was selected to the All A-League First team.{{Cite news |last=Stinson |first=Dan |date=20 September 2001 |title=Whitecaps get insurance in goal |pages=85 |work=Vancouver Sun}} He helped Richmond make the championship final the following season but was defeated by Milwaukee Rampage.{{Cite news |date=29 September 2002 |title=Rampage wins title |pages=46 |work=Democrat and Chronicle}} In the 2003 season, he finished as the top goal scorer for the club for the second time in his career as a result was named to the All A-League Second Team.{{Cite news |date=12 September 2003 |title=Soccer – A-League Playoffs |pages=7 |work=Calgary Herald}}

He re-signed with Richmond for this fifth and final season in 2005.{{Cite news |last=Stinson |first=Dan |date=23 April 2005 |title=United Soccer Leagues – Richmond Kickers |pages=E4 |work=Vancouver Sun}} In his final season with the Kickers, he helped the club reach the USL Championship final once more where his team lost in a penalty shoot-out to the Seattle Sounders.{{Cite news |date=2 October 2005 |title=Seattle Wins Championship |pages=10 |work=The Olympian}} In the winter of 2005, he was loaned to North East Stars F.C. in the TT Pro League.,{{Cite web|last=Villafana|first=Joel|date=25 October 2005|title=North East stars sign Gary Glasgow and Kevin Jeffrey|url=https://www.socawarriors.net/tt-pro-league/1952-north-east-stars-sign-gary-glasgow-and-kevin-jeffrey.html|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Soca Warriors Online – Trinidad and Tobago Football|language=en-gb}}

=USL First Division=

After the 2005 season, the Kickers were relegated to the USL Second Division and Jeffrey remained in the First Division with the Toronto Lynx.{{Cite news|date=19 May 2006|title=Soccer Activity – Toronto Lynx|page=S4|work=The Globe and Mail}}{{Cite web |date=18 May 2006 |title=Scoring Sensation To Join Lynx – Deana Everrett named to W-League Team of the Week |url=http://www.uslfans.com/news/2006/news%2C2006%2C0064.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614023933/http://www.uslfans.com/news/2006/news,2006,0064.shtml |archive-date=14 June 2006 |access-date=9 April 2022 |website=uslfans.com}} Jeffrey made his Lynx debut on 4 June 2006 coming on as a substitute for Damien Pottinger in a match against the Virginia Beach Mariners.{{Cite web|date=2006-11-30|title=United Soccer Leagues (USL)|url=http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/stats/2006/117035.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130161022/http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/stats/2006/117035.html|archive-date=30 November 2006|access-date=2020-10-04}} He would record his first goal on 21 July 2006 in a 1–1 draw against rivals Rochester Rhinos.{{Cite web|date=2006-11-30|title=United Soccer Leagues (USL)|url=http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/stats/2006/117089.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061130155157/http://uslpro.uslsoccer.com/stats/2006/117089.html|archive-date=30 November 2006|access-date=2020-10-04}} He was selected to the USL First Division First All-League team three times and named USL Player of the Week.{{Cite web |date=12 September 2006 |title=Kevin Jeffrey named A-League Player of the Week |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/foreign-based-news/2954-kevin-jeffrey-named-a-league-player-of-the-week.html |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=Soca Warriors Online – Trinidad and Tobago Football |language=en-gb}} He concluded the season as the team's leading goal scorer with nine goals and helped the Toronto club reach the finals of the Open Canada Cup.{{Cite web |title=2006 CSL season |url=https://canadiansoccerleague.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2006CSL_Season-1.pdf |access-date=26 March 2022 |website=canadiansoccerleague.ca}}

After the 2006 season, the Lynx franchise dropped two divisions down to the USL Premier Development League, thus releasing Jeffrey from his Toronto contract.{{Cite news|last=Davidson|first=Neil|date=13 October 2006|title=Lynx a costly labour of love|work=Canadian Press}} He signed with expansion franchise Carolina RailHawks in 2007 and appeared in fourteen league games for the RailHawks.{{Cite web|last=Carter|first=Rachel|date=21 April 2007|title=Carolina RailHawks Season Preview|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/653057754/?terms=Kevin+Jeffrey+carolina+railhawks|access-date=2020-10-04|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The News and Observer|page=C8|language=en}}{{cite web |url=http://www.kickthis.com/news/article.php?id=400 |title=RailHawks news|accessdate=30 January 2010 |work=Carolina Railhawks media release }}

International career

He has also earned one cap with the Trinidad and Tobago national team in 2003.{{Cite web|last=Strack-Zimmermann|first=Benjamin|title=Kevin Jeffrey|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/26562/Kevin_Jeffrey.html|access-date=2020-10-04|website=national-football-teams.com|language=en}} On 19 November 2003, he made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against Cuba.{{Cite web|date=2003-11-19|title=Kevin Jeffrey Called To Full National Team Duty for Trinidad & Tobago|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/kevin-jeffrey-called-to-full-national-team-duty-for-trinidad--tobago/n-2981090|access-date=2020-10-04|website=OurSports Central|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Player Profile – Kevin Jeffrey|url=https://www.socawarriors.net/player-directory.html?view=playerprofile&id=227|access-date=2020-10-04|website=socawarriors.net}}

Managerial career

On 7 December 2009, he was appointed Director of Football for the North East Stars in the TT Pro League.{{cite web|title=Sancho appointed NE Stars CEO...Jeffrey is director of football|url=http://guardian.co.tt/news/football/2009/12/07/sancho-appointed-ne-stars-ceo|accessdate=30 January 2010|work=Trinidad and Tobago Guardian}} In 2018, he was named the under- 18 head coach for San Juan Jabloteh F.C.{{Cite web|last=Molina|first=Hernan Porras|date=2018-05-20|title=Jabloteh, Stars clash after coaches swap sides|url=https://www.entornointeligente.com/jabloteh-stars-clash-after-coaches-swap-sides/|access-date=2020-10-04|website=EntornoInteligente|language=es-ES}}