Former England Under-20 defender Rico Henry is the latest addition to Jamaica’s senior men’s national team, after being named in the 26-member Reggae Boyz squad for the upcoming final-round Concacaf World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Curaçao later this month.
Henry, who plays for Brentford in the English Premier League, could, however, miss the opening encounter against Trinidad in Port of Spain on November 13, as head coach Steve McClaren explained that the left-back’s paperwork is still being finalized.
“The process is ongoing. We have to have a change of association because he made two appearances at junior level for England, so that is in process. He must acquire a passport first — he’s done everything in London that he needed to do, all the documents are in place. He just needs to visit PICA, apply, sign, and then pick up his passport the next day,” McClaren detailed.
“We’re hoping to do that. Unfortunately, he plays on Sunday so he can’t come till Monday, so that will have to be Tuesday or Wednesday. Hopefully that will be done and we get clearance on Wednesday or Thursday for him to be involved in that first game. If not that one, then hopefully by Friday — and then we’ve got the Monday for the second game.”
Meanwhile, there’s good news for local fans as Mount Pleasant striker Warner Brown makes his return from injury. Brown is one of two locally based players in the squad, joining his club teammate Jahshaun Anglin.
Captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake leads the delegation, with Jahmali Waite and Tafari Chambers providing backup between the posts.
The defensive unit features Mason Holgate, Ian Fray, Rico Henry, Damion Lowe, Dexter Lembikisa, Greg Leigh, Richard King, Ethan Pinnock, and Joel Latibeaudiere.
In midfield, McClaren has called up Isaac Hayden, Bobby Reid, Jonathan Russell, Karoy Anderson, and Jahshaun Anglin.
The attacking lineup includes Shamar Nicholson, Kaheem Dixon, Demarai Gray, Rumarn Burrell, Renaldo Cephas, Tyrece Campbell, Dujon Richards, Warner Brown, and Bailey Cadamarteri.
Explaining his squad selection, McClaren said he has opted to stick with players who have shown commitment and consistency throughout the campaign.
“What I’ve tried to do is I’ve picked 26 players, and included in that are players who have played from day one — a few who have obviously come into the squad and performed well and stayed in the squad,” he said.
“But these players have shown their loyalty to Jamaica — to come into the camps and their willingness to want to achieve the goal, which is World Cup qualification. So that’s why I’ve picked 26, that’s why I’ve picked the players that I’ve played. They’ve been in from day one, I trust them, they trust me — we all know what we want from each other.
It’s very difficult to introduce new players now and try different things. I don’t think now is the time to do that. I think we have to bed down our principles, what we’ve been trying to do, and these games are all about attitude, fight, and the will to win.”
Jamaica currently sits top of Group B on nine points, followed by Curaçao on eight, Trinidad and Tobago on five, and Bermuda yet to register a point.
The Reggae Boyz will host Curaçao on November 18 at the National Stadium, in what could prove the decisive fixture of the group. The group winner will secure direct qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
