Stewart’s No. 11 will not be used this season

General manager of Dunbeholden FC, Paul Christie, says the club will be suspending use of the number 11 jersey for this season's Jamaica Premier League (JPL) in honour of the late former midfielder and national player, Tremaine Stewart.

Stewart, who was signed to Dunbeholden for the 2020-2021 season after leaving Waterhouse, was scheduled to parade the 11 jersey this season. He collapsed and died on April 18 during a football match in his community of Gordon Pen. He was 32 years old.

Christie told STAR Sports that while Stewart did not play a competitive match for the St Catherine-based outfit, he played a very vital role in helping to nurture some of the club's young players during their training sessions.

"I know that for this season the names would have been printed and we would have printed the number 11 for Tremaine Stewart and we know that this number will not be used this season," said Christie.

"I can't speak definitively of subsequent seasons, however, I know for this season that will be the case and we are planning to have some other means of honouring him," he said.

Christie added that Stewart quickly became a fan favourite from the first day that he signed with the club because he was loved deeply by everyone at Dunbeholden.

"We know that he did not play an official game for the club. However, his general demeanour and his professionalism was a plus for us," Christie said.

"We would have learnt some things from him during the time he spent here and we have nothing but great things to say about him. He will be remembered as part of the history of Dunbeholden," he added.

The 2020-2021 season of the JPL is scheduled to kick off on June 26 and end on September 26.Meanwhile, the funeral service for Stewart will take place on June 11, after which he will be buried at the Dovecot Memorial Park. Stewart started his footballing career at Eltham High School, where he led them to the ISSA Walker Cup title in 2006. He made 12 appearances for the Reggae Boyz, scoring two goals.