Many are in the process of getting Jamaican passports
Jamaica are preparing to call-up a number of English based footballers who qualify to represent the Caribbean island, ahead of the 2022 winter World Cup in Qatar.
The Daily Mail report that players on their radar include West Ham striker Michail Antonio, Bayer Leverkusen winger Demarai Gray, Norwich full-back Max Aarons and Reading centre-back Liam Moore. The Reggae Boyz are also hopeful of persuading Isaac Hayden, Andre Gray, Ethan Pinnock, Mason Holgate, Kemar Roofe, Rolando Aarons, Curtis Tilt, Jamal Lowe, Amari’i Bell and Kasey Palmer to shun England for Jamaica.
Antonio revealed in 2016 that he had rejected the chance to represent Jamaica, with hopes of playing for England. Since then he has been in two England squads: once for Sam Allardyce’s only game in charge against Slovakia, when he was an unused substitute, and later in 2017 for a double header, but the West Ham man had to withdraw from the squad with injury.
The 30-year-old is now reported to be in the process of obtaining a Jamaican passport.
Ravel Morrison is among the English born players to have made the switch already, after playing for the England U21s.
The Jamaican Football Federation President Michael Ricketts recently confirmed a list of players who have applied for their passports, explaining that the process has been somewhat disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
JFF President Michael Ricketts confirmed all of these players (except Max Aarons) listed + Michail Antonio have or are in the process of acquiring passports for Jamaica MNT
via @SportsMax_Carib 🇯🇲 #jff pic.twitter.com/MzIaZDPzO0
— chris bowerbank (@chrisbowerbank) March 3, 2021
“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,” he said.
The Mail also report that Demarai Gray, Max Aarons and Ivan Toney are unlikely to accept a call up from Jamaica just yet, as they still retain aspirations of playing for the Three Lions.
Jamaica have not qualified for the World Cup since 1998, but the addition of some Premier League level players could boost their chances of playing on the world stage in Qatar.
