Charles Duncan; An Enigma

Standing at 6 foot 4 inches, Charles towers over everyone he speaks with. His height doesn’t stop him from lowering his guard and stature to greet his fans, many of whom are children who clamor for his signature after games. Born and raised in Jamaica, the towering forward had a decent upbringing with both parents attending to him in his formative years.

Charles attended as many high schools as he did primary schools in his time in Jamaica. Attending four high schools and four primary schools can be a daunting experience for a young boy but Charles at an early age developed resilience and the ability to adapt.

The Ingredients for Success

Charles is famed for his enterprising runs down the wing leaving defenders in his wake. His impressive speed isn’t a flash in the pan nor did it come from a miraculous blessing from on high. There is undoubtedly a rich vein of talent but without the hard work he endured, it would not have been nurtured.

A fine mix of nature and nurture allowed for the Charles we see today. His background was in track and field and his father saw to it that whatever talent was their would be unearthed.

At 5 am Pogba, as he is known by many of his peers, was up and training with his father, still having to be ready for school at 7:30 am.

Morning

100 Step ups on each leg

5 400m laps

Stair Sprints

After School

Training w/ Waterhouse Premier League Team

Sprint 2 consecutive 400 m laps vs two runners doing 1 400m lap.

Weekends

Hill Sprints- Stoney Hill, Jamaica

The Names

In 2019, the lanky forward impressed viewers during Hartford Premier & Development League’s summer tournament. The word was that Charles had a similar playing style to Pogba. The name stuck. CJ and CD7 are other titles he responds to. Charles Junior is self explanatory but his brand, CD7 is a picture of a young man emulating Cristiano Ronaldo. The parallels are clear.

As a young player in Jamaica, leadership always found Charles, captaining his youth team. Realizing that the team was littered with attackers he made the sacrifice to play as a center back and holding midfielder.

Memorable Moments

Excited to share his most memorable moment Charles was at a loss for words. After collecting himself, the floodgates opened with a delicate mix of English and Jamaican Creole (patios)

Waterhouse FC- U13|U15. Always attended training but never went to the games. Trained with U17’s. First game of the season a coach from England said I was good enough to play and said I should play. Di coach ask my coach fi mek mi play. Mi score two! All championship wi win. Watch ya now, Bazooka Tournament wid Pembrook Hall High School, Florida! Mi lead mi team to the finals. We brought only 13 players. Most a di man dem did all injured. Even doh we came second wi mek wi mark. We beat the defending champions in the first round. They came back with fresh players and beat us 1–0 in the final. This team was also undefeated before we played them.

Major Accolades

Ole- Most Assists UPSL Fall 2022 + Regular Season Champion + Team of The Year

GZS- Second Leading goal scorer for club Spring 2023 UPSL

East Hartford- Leading Goal Scorer HPDL 2022/2023 + Regular Season Champion 2023 + HPDL leading scorer 2023 and finalist

2018 Hawk FC over 30 goals + won regular season and was champion 2019

2020 Futsal Champion 3rd Eye FC

Other Clubs

Waterhouse FC U13/U17

Pembrook Hall (Major League/Super League)

Hawk FC (Boulevard League- New Haven)

On a Lighter Note

Any Jamaican who has ever passed through Half Way Tree square knows the irresistible smell wafting through the air is the unmistakable scent of Tastees. The bakery is world renowned for its patties and our very own Tower of Pisa, Charles Duncan, cannot resist.

Favorite Food

Tastees Patty and Cocoa Bread + Bun & Cheese

Bun and cheese became a Jamaican delicacy through colonial times as the English enjoyed hot cross buns.

Favorite Music

My current favorite song now is Valiant- Mohammed, JQUAN- Still A Fight is also a favorite.

Hidden Talents & Hobbies

Cricket- I came in the news papers in the Grace Shield High School competition in Ja. automotive painting, fashion design, I’m artistic, and believe it or not I’m singer

Favorite Quote

Nuh Seh 40

Charles, Pogba or CJ, whatever name you use to ascribe to the human being we’ve all come to admire, he is still the same loveable person who aspires to become a professional soccer player. As interim head coach he has taken the club to new heights. Let’s rally around him and help him to grow beyond his wildest dreams.

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VICTORY IS BORN OF HARMONY