Soon after being awarded the Best Foreign-Based Athlete by the Sports Journalists Association of The Gambia (SJAG), Scorpions captain Omar Colley has been selected in the first XI of the Team of the Season in Belgium.
The award caps a successful first season with KRC Genk for the Scorpions captain as he achieved several milestones. We caught up with him for his thoughts on the season so far and hopes for the future:-
Congratulations on a great season with plenty of awards coming your way…
It’s been my finest season ever, playing over 50 games and scoring 4 goals for the club I signed for less than 12 months ago, which is a great achievement in my career so far.
How do you reflect on your season so far?
It’s been one of the toughest years in my career, especially playing for a club where the demand is so high and you’re required to play a lot of games. But I overcame all obstacles to focus and do my best in every minute I played both in training and in matches.
What are your hopes for the future ?
My dream is to play in the top four biggest leagues in Europe, even though there are rumours here and there, but I will wait for the right moment and keep improving my game for the next step.
What advice would you give those players in Gambia who hope to follow in your footsteps ?
Keep working hard and never give up because hard work always pay off in football. It doesn’t matter where you come from but where you are heading, that’s the most important thing.
How do you see the Scorpions national team and what the future may hold ?
I believe now is our moment, with a young and ambitious team I believe we can make it work if we are together. We are blessed to have a great technical team from the Head Coach to the physios, all with great experience. One thing we need is the support from the entire nation, no matter whether we win or lose because that’s the only way we will get results.
Anything else you’d like to add ?
Finally I would like to thank my family, friends, fans and everyone who’s contributed towards my career so far, because without them I wouldn’t be here. It’s just the beginning and God willing there is more to follow.
Colley’s team are in the semi-finals of the Europa League playoffs, where they hope to make a return to the tournament where he was able to make history as the first Gambian to play in the quarter-finals of a European competition.
