Mount Pleasant Academy’s Emerson Laisse is set to make history after earning a call-up to Haiti’s senior national team at just 15 years old. The talented attacker, who was born in Port-au-Prince, has been included in the squad to face Azerbaijan in an international friendly on March 22, a major step in what has already been a remarkable 2025 for the young star.

Laisse played a key role in Haiti’s successful campaign at the CONCACAF Under-17 Qualifiers in Guatemala last month, helping his country top Group E and secure a spot at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar later this year. Now, just weeks after that accomplishment, he finds himself on the verge of making his senior international debut—an opportunity he describes as both humbling and exciting.

"I am very excited, very excited, to be called for the senior team at 15. I am really happy and my family is very proud," said Laisse.

If Laisse makes his debut against Azerbaijan, it would mark another major milestone in his young career. Despite his age, he is no stranger to playing against senior opposition, having made his Jamaica Premier League (JPL) debut at just 14 years old as a late substitute against Waterhouse FC in a 1-0 victory last season.

"Jamaica is very physical, lots of big guys, they are very strong," Laisse recalled, acknowledging the physicality he has encountered in the JPL.

Mount Pleasant Academy’s Director of Football, Davion Ferguson, sees Laisse’s call-up as further validation of the academy’s commitment to developing elite football talent.

"This is massive for us. I don’t think a lot of people realize how hard these boys work to get where they are and how much our coaches have put in to prepare them," Ferguson said.

Mount Pleasant Academy has already seen 10 of its players feature in matchday squads for the club’s senior JPL team this season, with seven earning playing time. Among them, Jamaican U17 representative Jahmarie Nolan and Haitian Franco Celestin have already scored goals in the league, proving the academy’s investment in youth development is paying off.

"We are in the business of creating professional players who will go on to have successful careers in the sport. We have the talent in Jamaica and the Caribbean, but what has been lacking is a clear development pathway for these players. That is what we are offering," he said.

He also pointed to the rise in football academies across Jamaica, emphasizing that while progress is being made, the focus must be on providing a structured pathway into professional football.

"It takes a lot, and we are grateful to our owner Peter Gould, who came up with this vision and continues to entrust us with it. We at Mount Pleasant Academy know we have the roadmap to take Jamaica and the Caribbean forward, and it’s about realizing that dream," he added.

Mount Pleasant FA head coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore, a former Jamaica national player and coach, has made it a priority to integrate more academy players into the club’s senior setup.

"The notion is that Mount Pleasant just goes out and gets all the best players—that is something we want to change, and we’ve been doing it. All these academy players have made their contribution to the team, and it speaks well for the academy while also pushing other players to want to be part of the setup," Whitmore explained.

According to Ferguson, the Mount Pleasant Academy executive team is constantly reviewing its operations and development model to ensure sustainability and alignment with international standards.

"We are always looking for ways to improve. Having nine academy boys in the CONCACAF U17 Qualifiers last month was a proud moment for us, but now we are looking at how we get 12 or 14. That is how we are going to get to where we want to be—by always pushing ourselves," he said.

Mount Pleasant Academy currently operates three teams, including its senior squad, a youth team in the KFC Elite Cup, and a team in the Jamaica Football Federation Championship.

With Laisse’s rise to the Haitian senior national team, Mount Pleasant Academy has once again proven itself as a breeding ground for future stars—not just for Jamaica, but for the entire Caribbean football landscape.