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KEVIN Blackwood's performance in the 2013 Manning Cup final against Wolmer's is still vividly recalled by many.

The former Jamaica College central midfielder played an exceptional game that day, cleaning up the dirty work and pulling the strings in midfield to great effect, which earned him plaudits all around.

This was followed by a short successful stint in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) with hometown club Boys' Town, in which he equipped himself very well before taking up a scholarship to Cleveland State University last summer.

At Cleveland, the 21-year-old has continued to grow and develop, and despite his preference for the holding midfield position, has had to adjust to play a variety of positions but this versatility is serving him well in more ways than one.

"It has served me well because football has an arbitrary nature, and for me to be a player that can play multiple positions is a plus for me, that means I am not going to be left out of the team and I don't want to be sitting on the bench because to sit on the bench is no fun," he said.

"Midfield is my (preferred) position but some coaches see me as more effective further up the field, so they put me in more advanced positions ... sometimes I don't really agree but you have to be a team player," he insisted.

Blackwood, who is majoring in communication and business administration, has two-and-a-half years left in university and is hoping to take Cleveland all the way to the championship next season after helping them to back-to-back semi-final appearances in the Horizon League.

He is also confident of making the next step up to the MLS when his college career comes to an end.

"All I need to do is continue to work hard and hope for a little bit of luck too," he said.