MONTEGO BAY, St James — Dino Williams has long promised to be one of the top scorers in local club football and even in his first season with Village United in 2009, months after he left Green Pond High, he showed flashes of brilliance in the Premier League.

Despite his obvious talent and eye for goal that caught the attention of at least two national coaches, it wasn’t until last year when he scored 13 goals that others started to take serious notice.

But opposing defenders know him all too well as he has been able to consistently stay in the top 10 scorers every time he has played a full season in the Premier League.

Williams, who has spent time in the United States Soccer Leagues, is usually a late starter and scores the bulk of his goals late in the season, but is off to a fast start this year with eight goals so far in as many games.

“I think the difference this season with my fast start is that I had a better pre-season,” he told the Jamaica Observer this week. “Even though we started earlier than normal (for the CONCACAF Champions League), I am much stronger than the last few seasons and the Champions League games also helped me.”

The 25 year-old led the Champions League with 16 shots at goal in his three games played, scoring twice against DC United in their 3-3 draw in Montego Bay in late September and he sees this as a plus.

“I know I took a lot of shots at goal, but going into the early games I was not 100 per cent sharp,” he explained. “But when you are trying to score goals you are going to be taking a lot of shots and that’s a good thing that I was able to get so many shots on target and it means I have been doing a lot of good things.”

Williams, who was in the ReggaeBoyz squad for the Copa America in Chile, but has since been left out, said a combination of factors have lent themselves to his growth.

“This season I am more focused around the (goal) area, I am very relaxed and concentrating as much as I can and I am fitter at the start than the past two seasons, so I get into a rhythm earlier,” he noted.

Dino Williams (left) in action against DC United in the CONCACAF Champions League game at the Montego Bay Sports Complex. Williams scored two times as the teams drew 3-3.

(PHOTO: PAUL REID)