HAMILTON—A teenage Bermuda footballer who walked out on his team-mates during a major tournament in the Cayman Islands was Thursday slapped with a five-year ban from international competition.

The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) also said 19-year-old Kris Frick would be banned from domestic competitions for two years.

“These bans are effective immediately and reflect the gravity of the circumstances,” said acting BFA general secretary Ian Rawlins.

BFA technical director Derek Broadley earlier accused Frick of making a major error of judgment by walking out on his team-mates midway through the Digicel Caribbean Cup tournament which saw Bermuda ousted.

Frick watched Bermuda’s 7-0 thrashing of St Maarten/St Martin from the stands after refusing to sit on the bench following the decision to leave him out of the starting line-up again.

Bermuda earlier lost 4-0 to Antigua and Barbuda and bowed out of the tournament after managing only a goalless draw against hosts the Cayman Islands last weekend.

Despite the efforts of a trio of veteran players, who visited his room following the victory to try and talk him around, Frick checked out of the hotel the next morning.

Broadley and goalkeeper coach Vic Bettinelli also spent over an hour speaking with the young defender prior to the match when Frick first voiced his discontent at the way his Cayman trip was mapping out.

“I think Kris made the wrong decision and I’ve told both him and his father that,” said Broadley. “Every player I’ve ever worked with has been left out of the side at some point. There’s a way to do things and I don’t think what he did was the right way.

“We must remember Kris is still a very young man and he’s made a mistake. There are ways of rectifying his mistake and now he’s gone away he may have a think about what he did.

“I think he took the easy option. The longer he leaves it, the harder it will be for people to accept. He’s made it difficult for himself now.”

It is understood Frick, a club footballer with Somerset, was upset that 17-year-old Roger Lee had been selected to start at right back instead of him. (CMC)