Evergreen Echesa still calling the shots as he revels in award

Veteran Hillary Echesa does not plan to hang his boots any time soon after basking in the glow of being recognised as the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) finest player for July.

The journeyman who has domestic top-flight clubs Tusker FC and Sofapaka FC among a litany of teams he has played for is refusing to recede to the twilight of his career without a bang.

“I’ll keep going until it becomes impossible for me to compete with the young boys physically. Right now I feel the same as I was years ago. I love playing football and I’m not exiting the scene anytime soon,” he said after being feted for his displays last month where the midfielder sunk three goals.

The seasoned player collected a Ksh100,000 cheque and a 42-inch LG smart television set at a ceremony hosted at their Chemelil Sports Complex grounds on Tuesday attended by teammates and the club’s top brass.

Echesa who has enjoyed stints abroad with MP Muar, NS Betaria F.C and Delta Raya Sidoarjo in Indonesia, polled 20 votes to beat Nairobi City Stars forward, Ezekiel Odera who got 11.

Other short-listed players, AFC Leopards keeper, Ian Otieno and John Makwata garnered 10 and nine in that order.

While many felt Chemelil would be a retirement home for the midfielder, Echesa exploded to form, scoring the winner against Leopards before securing a share of the spoils for his side deep in added time in their thrilling 2-2 draw with KPL table-toppers Tusker.

His third strike came against Sofapaka to round a rich month where he scored against two of his former employers having won the title with the Brewers in 2011.

He started his career with fallen top flight giants and National Super League side, Nzoia Sugar (now Nzoia United) who are chasing promotion to the KPL next season, moved to Ulinzi Stars and then bitter rivals, Mumias Sugar who are now defunct between the 2001 and 2006 seasons.

Echesa then left to join Tanzanian giants, Young Africans for a brief stay before finding himself in Rwandese titans APR and then the Royal Malaysia Police Association Football Club all within the 2006 season.

He stayed in Malaysia until 2008 when he moved to Indonesia and back to Tanzania with Yanga sworn enemies, Simba SC in 2010.

Echesa returned home to Tusker in 2011 before packing his bags for Indonesia having been crowned a KPL champion.

“He has been very influential and carried the team along. When he’s on top of his game everyone steps up and we achieve good results and when he’s not having a good game you it affecting our entire unit. Such is his influence in this team,” Chemelil boss, Francis Baraza, who played alongside the evergreen player during the formative days of his career, said in toasting the widely travelled player who is fuelling the club’s push to a top four finish.

With many local KPL stars fizzling out as soon as they hit the centre stage, Echesa is the embodiment of a generation gone by that was rooted in discipline, hard work and excellence.