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REGGAE BOYZ head coach Steve McClaren has touted Brentford defender Rico Henry as an ‘ideal’ acquisition for Jamaica ahead of the final Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.
However, it is a race against time for the defender to be granted international clearance as he is still without a Jamaican passport.
Henry has been a target of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and was listed in their watchlist ahead of the World Cup Qualifiers.
McClaren said Henry can add much to the team’s defence, citing his Premier League experience having played 88 games in the English top flight.
His last two seasons for his club were hampered, however, as the defender missed over 80 games through injury.
“Rico is a very good player, a Premier League player,” McClaren said in a JFF press conference yesterday.
“He’s had bad injuries but he’s come back and he’s fought back. It shows the mentality of the boy, and he plays like that with that kind of mentality.
“This season, he’s not played regularly, but he’s had games and in training he’s fit and looks very, very good; looks very, very sharp.”
He continued, “I have no hesitation in bringing Rico in. He’s at the ideal age, he’s recovered, he’s got the experience, he’s a Premier League player and he can add to the squad.”
However, Henry is not yet cleared to don the black, green, and gold of Jamaica, as the defender is still without a Jamaica passport.
McClaren said the player is at the final stages of completing the process and the plan is for Henry to acquire the passport before Thursday’s game against Trinidad and Tobago.
“The process is ongoing,” McClaren confirmed. “We have to have a change of association because he made two appearances at the junior level for England.
“He must acquire a passport first. He’s done everything in London that he needed to do and all the documents are in place.
“He just needs to visit PICA, apply, sign, and then pick up his passport the next day. So hoping to do that.”
LENGTHY PROCESS
McClaren said should Henry not be cleared in time for the game against Trinidad, he is confident the player can be cleared to feature in the home game against Curaçao.
The Reggae Boyz boss bemoaned the lengthy process it takes for players to acquire their Jamaican passports, but said there is little the JFF can do to make the process faster.
“That’s always been the case whenever we’ve tried to acquire passports for players and that has been difficult.
“We look at other countries who seem to be straight away including players and getting players in. All of a sudden, we see Trinidad and we see Curaçao with new players that have come from nowhere.
“Everything should have always been done quicker, sharper, and we should have this, and we should have that. Maybe I ask for too much but that’s my job, to make sure that we fight to get the best players that we possibly can.”
Jamaica will face Trinidad on November 13 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, before hosting Curaçao at the National Stadium on November 18.
The Boyz lead Group B with nine points, ahead of Curaçao, eight, and Trinidad, five.
Bermuda sit rooted at the bottom of the table without a point and out of contention for a qualifying spot.
The group winner will qualify for the World Cup, with the top two second-place teams in the round advancing to the intercontinental playoffs.
English (US) ·