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FORMER YOUTH national representatives Jaileah McPherson and Shaneil Buckley have both earned high praises from Reggae Girlz head coach Hubert Busby Jr ahead of Jamaica’s clash against Dominica in the Concacaf W Qualifiers.
McPherson, 19 years old, and Buckley, 20 years old, were listed in Busby’s 21-player squad for their opening Group B game on Saturday at 2 pm.
Busby said both players have proven themselves in the senior programme having broken through with their performances with the junior teams and their respective colleges.
He said it is a good sign for Jamaica to have the two young talents, especially as they play at opposite ends of the field.
McPherson has a well-earned reputation as a stalwart defender while Buckley has dazzled fans with her quick feet and eye for goal.
“Those two players, at both ends of the pitch, are two bright young players that have grown very well within the senior camp over the last year,” Busby said.
The Reggae Girlz boss explained he has been tracking McPherson’s career over the past few years, having following her development in Canada.
He described the defender as a ‘sponge’ who always shows a bright attitude towards improving her craft and often learns at the feet of her senior teammates.
“I’ve known her as a younger player coming out of Canada, but she’s progressed through our system really well,” Busby explained.
“The times when I stopped by the U20 training sessions, she radiates positivity and energy and she’s sort of a sponge for learning.
“For her to come into the senior group, and just be a sponge, and listen to the older players, and take everything on with an absolutely excellent attitude. That has resonated with everybody in the group.”
He said with her attitude towards the sport, McPherson has become a versatile player who can, not only marshal a backline, but can also move into the midfield as well.
Busby is confident as she continues to grow, she will get further adjusted to the speed of senior women’s football and become a long-term asset for Jamaica.
“She can also play as a number six, which is what makes it possible to integrate her in, because she is good technically,” he praised.
“She reads the ball well and she communicates well. She just has to get up to speed in terms of the match speed of this level.”
Busby was also full of praise for Buckley, who he said has already left a great legacy.
Having caught national attention as a leader in Excelsior High School’s schoolgirl football dynasty, Buckley quickly became a mainstay in the junior national teams, representing at the U17 and U20 levels.
She made her senior debut October 2022, and scored her first goal in November 2023.
Busby has also been impressed by her collegiate career, having won back-to-back National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national titles with Daytona State as the leading goalscorer.
Now having moved to Florida State University (FSU), Busby is confident she can continue her prolific form.
“She has just come off of back-to-back junior college championships again, where she was a leading scorer at Daytona College,
“She’s leaving a great legacy at that junior college and now she’s off to Florida State, where I’m sure she’ll do the same.”
Busby said Buckley’s presence will offer the team a dynamic attacker who is always keen to take on defenders.
He praised her eye for goal, and believes as she continues to develop, so too will her technical ability.
“She provides a really good ability to play between the lines, where she can pick up the ball, be direct, run at players, take players on, and create overloads, or allow us to create overloads, because she’s always running at players,” he explained.
“She does things on the ball that are very dynamic, and she brings a very dynamic approach to the way that we will want to play.
“I think, as she gets older and a little bit stronger now, you’re going to see even more those technical qualities come out.”
Jamaica are chasing their third consecutive appearance at the FIFA Women’s World Cup and will begin their campaign in Group B of the W Qualifiers, alongside Dominica, Guyana, Nicaragua, and Antigua and Barbuda.
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