Jamaica are planning to call-up Ten star players plying their trade in England and Germany ahead of next year’s World Cup qualifiers.
England based stars Michail Antonio (West Ham) Max Aarons (Norwich City) Nathan Redmond of Southampton are among those called up for national team duties. Former Leicester City forward Demarai Gray now at Bayer Leverkusen has also been called up.
Norwich defender Aarons still needs to be convinced to switch his allegiance but Jamaica are confident of snapping up the nine other players on their shortlist.
The Reggae Boyz are also hopeful of persuading Andre Gray (Watford), Isaac Hayden (Newcastle), Mason Holgate (Everton), Liam Moore (Reading), Kemar Roofe(Rangers) and Ivan Toney (Brentford) to represent them.
It is believed that eight players approached have applied for their Jamaican passports. Reading defender Moore has already got his Jamaican passport while the rest of the players bar Aarons and Antonio are in the process of acquiring one to allow them to play international matches for Jamaica.
JFF President Michael Ricketts confirmed that all the players should receive Jamaican passports and revealed that Newcastle midfielder Hayden had actually approached them about representing the country amid hopes of playing in the World Cup to be held in Qatar next year.
“I see Andre Gray, Demarai Gray, Isaac Hayden, Mason Holgate, Liam Moore, who already has his Jamaican passport, Nathan Redmond, Kemar Roofe and Ivan Toney. All of these we are in the process of acquiring their Jamaican passports,” Ricketts confirmed this week.
“The process is becoming a little tedious because of the pandemic but the process is ongoing and we are hopeful we will get the passports for these gentlemen in reasonable time.
“We have been having discussions. I just spoke with the Permanent Secretary for Sport and he has agreed to try and help us to facilitate and to expedite the process,’ Ricketts said.
Jamaica's move for English players is reminiscent of their 1998 World Cup squad, which included seven stars from these shores, including Frank Sinclair, Robbie Earle and Marcus Gayle.