3 days ago
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NEWLY MINTED Reggae Boy Rico Henry said it is a good feeling to commit his international future to Jamaica following his return from a long-term injury which impacted the last two years of his career.
Henry got his first call-up to Steve McClaren’s squad ahead of the final games in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers after being a long-term target by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).
McClaren said the defender was a good acquisition for the programme as he brought years of Premier League experience.
“Rico is a very good player, a Premier League player,” McClaren said of Henry’s selection.
“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.”
Henry’s journey to the national team is one of resilience, as the defender was ruled out of much of the last two years due to injury.
During a 2023 Premier League game against Newcastle United, the Brentford man suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury which saw him ruled out for over a year.
It was the second ACL injury in his career, having torn his ACL in his right knee in 2017.
Speaking in an interview with Brentford, Henry said the initial days in his recovery process were devastating, as the pain often kept him up at nights.
“I felt something crack in my knee because I knew it was my meniscus, which it was as well. So, I literally felt it crack, but I didn’t know it was my ACL as well,” he explained.
“When they were testing me on the bench after, they said it was my ACL, then it was literally head loss.”
Henry continued, “Definitely at the start it was hard because obviously the pain as well, which is frustrating because the pain is like, it’s crazy. Afterwards, it’s like two weeks of straight pain, you can’t sleep, you just get no rest and it’s just annoying.”
Henry said there were concerns regarding his recovery and match sharpness, with it being his second ACL injury.
However, the defender was confident he could return to his best due to his familiarity with the injury.
HIs main concern was the amount of time he would be kept off the pitch, as he said it was a struggle to remain positive while sidelined.
“It’s hard to be patient because you know how long it’s going to be. When you do your ACL, you know it’s gonna be over like six or seven months so it’s hard to stay positive because it’s gonna be so long,” Henry explained.
“When you’re coming back, you don’t feel the same at the start. You wonder if you’re gonna come back the same with the same sharpness on the pitch, same speed. Because I’ve been there before with my right knee, I knew I could come back.”
Now in the Reggae Boyz fold, Henry said he is ready to make his family proud while donning the black, green, and gold.
Henry qualified to represent the island through his grandfather, who was born in St Ann.
He, however, explained, he was close to representing England two years ago, right before his injury.
He said while it was difficult to see his England chances fade, he is happy to be able to commit his future to Jamaica.
“I got a message from the lady [at England] saying ‘Be ready, you might get called up’, then literally got injured. I felt like I was getting closer, every day, every game,” he said.
“I felt better, I was playing well… I was feeling good and it’s just a hard one to take.
“It’s good to play international football. It will be good to represent [Jamaica]. My mum called me. She’d been speaking to the the manager and I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s crazy’,” he continued.
He said his decision was also made following conversations with fellow Brentford defender Ethan Pinnock, and Brentford ambassador, and former Reggae Boy, Marcus Gayle.
English (US) ·