Leston Paul

Paul signed for Central F.C. in January 2014 amidst of flurry of other high profiled Trinidad and Tobago National team players such as Willis Plaza, Ataulla Guerra and Yohance Marshall. He quickly established himself as an integral cog in Central's midfield alongside veteran and TT Pro League legend Marvin Oliver. In his first full season with the "Sharks" he helped the team secure an unprecedented 9 trophies (5 major trophies and 4 minor trophies) including the club's first TT Pro League and CFU Club Championship titles. Paul also scored the solitary goal in the 2014 First Citizens Cup Final versus North East Stars F.C. The club lifted the CFU Club Championship title on home soil by defeating arch rival W Connection F.C. 2–1 at the Ato Boldon Stadium. Paul's excellent performances and natural leadership qualities shone through during the season and he was eventually named club captain towards the end of the 2014–15 season. In the following season, Paul once again led the club in retaining the two most prestigious titles: TT Pro League and CFU Club Championship. This proved especially difficult as Paul and his teammates faced off against a hostile Don Bosco of Haiti which was playing at home in the CFU Club Championship semi-final. The score was locked at 1–1 at the end of added extra time in heavy rain but Central F.C. pulled off a 2-4 penalty shootout victory with Paul scoring the winning penalty. This win secured a repeat of the 2015 final versus W Connection which the…

Leston Paul was born and grew up in Mayaro, Trinidad but attended and represented St. Mary's College (Port of Spain) with distinction. He captained St. Mary's College to the North Zone Intercol title in 2007. In that same year, he led the Trinidad and Tobago National U17 team to the 2007 FIFA U17 World Cup in Korea and played in all 3 matches in a group featuring Germany, Ghana and Colombia. In 2008, he was selected by none other than John Barnes as one of eight Caribbean players to earn a 1-week training stint at Sunderland's Stadium of Light as part of Digicel's Kick Start Clinic. In 2009, the combative midfielder led the Trinidad and Tobago U20 team to the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt where the team was eventually eliminated from Group A featuring the likes of Paraguay, Italy and hosts Egypt. Paul's performances earned him a 4-year scholarship at the University of South Florida (USF) where he excelled and was selected on the Rookie Team of the Year in 2010 and the Big East Third Teams of the Year from 2010 to 2012. Upon graduating from USF in 2012, he returned home to Trinidad and represented hometown club Guaya United F.C. (National Super League) briefly before permanently moving to Central F.C. Paul was awarded his first Trinidad and Tobago Senior International cap by then head coach Stephen Hart in the 2014 Caribbean Cup qualification stage against the Dominican Republic in October 2014. He helped the team to a commanding 6–1 victory and then made appearances…