It’s probably not often that ‘Ohio’ and ‘Turks and Caicos’ are mentioned in the same sentence, but with John Robertson, that’s exactly what you get.
Accepting a call to represent the tiny Caribbean nation of roughly 48,000 people for the first time in December, Robertson departs for Curaçao this weekend to play for Turks and Caicos in the 2026 Concacaf U20 Qualifiers. They have been drawn into Group B and will face off against Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts & Nevis, Cayman Islands, and Bonaire.
Robertson, a defensive midfielder, currently plays with Spire FC 07/08 Academy Black – a Great Lakes Conference team that will participate in this year’s USYS Ohio State Cup.
So how does someone from the Cleveland area discover they can represent a tiny island nation – and how did he get connected? We asked John to fill us in on his story before he headed south to participate in qualifying.
What is the connection to Turks and Caicos?
I have a British passport via my dad. Since I have that, I can play for TCI as they are a British Overseas Territory, which is very lucky for me.
How did you discover this connection?
Really, it was through my teammate at Spire, Sammy Harvey. He also plays for TCI and told me that if I have a British passport I can play for them too, so we talked and found out that I was fully eligible to play for them.
I happen to be a quadruple national, so I always had it in my head to perhaps represent Ireland, Australia or Scotland. But, since TCI asked me first, I said yes.
How did TCI find you?
The TCIFA found me through Sammy.
When he found out I was eligible, he called Coach Aaron (our head coach) that night and encouraged him to give me an opportunity. We then arranged a time for me to come down and trial.
What kind of support have you had around your decision?
Everyone that knows about me getting the call and deciding to play for them is very happy for me and encouraging me to do my best. The support my family, friends and coaches have shown me is out of this world and I am really grateful for them.
What does it mean to you to represent TCI?
I am getting an opportunity I have never had before, which means I have to put my all into it and try make history for the country. My teammates and coaches at TCI are all amazing and I’m willing to do anything to win for the country.
Let’s switch to Spire. How long have you been there?
I have been at Spire for just over six months and have found it to be amazing. My favorite thing is how professional it is and how everyone here wants to be a world class athlete in their sport. The fun we have both inside and outside of football is also amazing and I’m just living my best life here.
At both Spire and with TCI, what has the experience been like in terms of professionalism, communication, travel, training, schedule, etc.?
The experience with both Spire and the TCI U20s has been amazing. They both have been really professional and efficient with everything.
My travel is all booked by TCI and training at both places is very intense as we are all competing for a spot in the Starting XI.
The TCI schedule is laid out weeks in advance so we know exactly what we will be doing and where we have to go. My coaches and teammates at both Spire and TCI have really helped by pushing me to be the best I can be.
What are you looking forward to most during the upcoming qualifiers?
I’m really excited to play against other world class talent and see where the standard is. I am also definitely looking forward to competing with my teammates and getting to know both them and the coaches better as the tournament goes on.
Congratulations on the call-up, John. We wish you and Turks and Caicos all the best! See you at State Cup!
