The futsal team at UEL is full of exciting talent, with numerous attacking players in the side contributing to the side’s high scoring fixtures, as the first team have netted 10 or more times in every fixture so far this season.
However, their most important player is arguably one who doesn’t find himself on the scoresheet that often. International Turks & Caicos defender, James Rene, has been involved with the futsal set up for four seasons and is now the Blues’ first team captain.
Often playing as UEL’s deepest on field player, Rene has earned a reputation for being a brick wall for UEL. A dependable stalwart breaking up play and starting attacks from the back.
Here’s everything you need to know about UEL’s courageous captain.
Fact File:
- Name – James Rene
- Age – 32
- Date of Birth – 2/2/1986
- National Side – Turks & Caicos (12 caps)
- Sports – Football, futsal and beach soccer
- Moved to UK – 2015
- Studies – BA Tourism and Hospitality
How did it all start?
Rene joined the futsal team at UEL five years ago when he arrived at the Uni, and was looking for a sport to play in conjunction with football.
“I first started futsal in Turks & Caicos. The US Ambassador for Futsal came to the island and introduced the sport to us, so I started playing from there.
“When I arrived here my focus was mainly on football, but then I saw that they had futsal. I knew how to play futsal, but my skills weren’t really that developed so it took a while, but now I’m captain I suppose the work’s paid off.”
What is it like to captain the side?
James was made captain of the first team at the start of the 2018-19 season, following the departure of previous captains Will Semain and Stephen McGinn.
“I enjoy being captain a lot. From my perspective things could have been handled differently last year. There were a mix of captains, instead of one set player and I think a team benefits from having a consistent leader.
“It was a surprise for me, as I didn’t put myself forward for the role. I just got contacted by the university and told I’d been voted as captain, so I was pleased. It’s a responsibility that I enjoy as I get to lead on the pitch, and help out with how things are run as well.”
How do you see your role in the side?
Being the only defender in a team with so much attacking talent is no easy task, and Rene understands the importance of his job.
“In futsal you aren’t usually in one position all game, there’s a lot of rotation, but I’m the one to usually start in defence, and as we rotate I can push forward and join in attacks. What I then have to do is make sure I’m rotating back, and not allowing the opposition to attack themselves.”
What’s the key attribute for your role?
Rene has an abundance of talent on the ball, unrivalled physicality and a faultless work-rate, but it’s his reading of the game that he values highest.
“I think my anticipation comes from experience, and being involved with sport since I was about five. You begin to learn what kind of movements lead to what actions, you think ‘When the head goes down, the ball is going to be played’ and you’re constantly anticipating what will happen next.
“For me, I feel I can anticipate any ball. I’m good at reading body language, and knowing when someone’s going to snap the ball and where. Then by time they snap it, I’m there to intercept. You have to be thinking all the time.”
How far can the side go this year?
The first team have enjoyed a fantastic start to their campaign, winning every game, 
advancing through the first two rounds of the cup and performing convincingly every game, and this has given Rene high hopes for the season.
“We can win it all. I think if we maintain our attitude, and keep playing the way we have been playing, then we can win it all.
“It doesn’t matter what the players are like ability-wise, what matters is that they’re focused and determined. Without the right attitude you won’t succeed, but so far we’ve shown that we have a really good mindset.”
What is the current futsal squad like in comparison to previous years?
As it is James’ fourth season in the team at UEL, he’s now played in a number of different teams with a whole host of players. But where does this side rank?
“UEL have had some strong teams, in previous years we’ve had Chris (Smith) who’s pretty fast, Stephen (McGinn) was a strong player and Will (Semain) was very good as well, so it’s hard to say if this side is better yet. We maybe have a few more dribblers this year though, that’s where the side is definitely better.
“What really sets this side apart is the level of attitude. The players are far more committed, and have so far been very disciplined, and that’s so important in futsal.”
How useful is it to have so many technical dribblers in the side?
UEL’s first team offers an abundance of skilful, technical players, but what impact does this have?
“I think it makes us harder to play against. We’ve got Bruno (Cesar), who likes to dribble and is very good at it, and he’s starting to learn when and where to do it. Amine (Mimoune) loves to cut inside and can make anybody go where he wants them to go. Koki (Ogawa) is incredibly calm on the ball, he has great composure, and Harman (Sandhu) has the experience from playing for Genesis, he’s a great defender but can play forward as well, and Yacine (Rabia) is a big guy who holds the ball up well.
“All these abilities combined make us really difficult to play against when we work as a team, and that’s why we’ve kept winning games against tough opposition.”
