‘Commitment is number one’

NEWLY APPOINTED interim head coach of the Reggae Boyz football team, Paul Hall, says commitment will be his main criteria when looking to select English-born professional players to represent the Reggae Boyz.

In recent weeks a number of British-born players with Jamaican background have expressed interest in turning out for Jamaica.

Manchester United youngster, Di’shon Bernard, who is on loan with championship club Hull City, Tyrick Mitchell, who plays left-back for Crystal Palace, Rico Henry, Brentford’s left-back, and Omar Richard, Bayern Munich’s wing back, are the latest players to declare themselves open to represent the Boyz.

However, Hall, an English-born former professional player, said he will first have to hold in-depth dialogue with these players to gauge their commitment to the national programme.

Hall insists that even though the new players might bring quality to the squad, their commitment will be most important.

“It is still early days in regard to bringing players in and having a look, that is still a work in progress,” said Hall, who recently replaced Theodore Whitmore as head coach.

“We do want to have people in place where we can look at young, potential players, so it is something that we are talking about,” he pointed out during an online press conference on Monday.

He continued: “It is always good to have interest from players and especially from top clubs, but we have to have conversations with these players to see what their commitment is like.

“There is a World Cup coming and a lot of players will make themselves available. So it is really important to have conversations with these players and if they can help us to improve, good. But we want to be able to add value to what we’ve got and improve, and they really must be committed because that is number one for me, the commitment,” he said.

Additionally, Hall said his aim is to improve every position.

“There are positions on the pitch we want to improve. I want to get the maximum out of every position,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Reggae Boyz team manager, Roy Simpson, revealed that they have got word of the players’ interests, but said no formal contact has been made as they are allowing Hall to settle into his role.

However, he believes the continued interest of top overseas professionals is a strong indication that the programme continues to grow.

“We are aware of the interests expressed. We have not yet formally reached out. However, based on what is happening, we need things to settle down and then we will definitely reach out,” he stated. “But it is a testament to what we are doing, as more and more players are finding the programme attractive.”

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com