Gray wants triumphant return
Skillful winger working hard on fitness ahead of Copa bow
Published:Thursday | June 20, 2024 | 12:52 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
AFTER MISSING the Reggae Boyz’ two World Cup qualifiers due to injury, Demarai Gray is excited to be back in the team and is relishing the opportunity to represent the team at the upcoming Copa América tournament.
“It’s good to be back as it was disappointing to have missed the World Cup qualifiers. I’m happy that the boys got the six points, and I’m excited to be back and excited for this tournament,” said Gray.
The skillful winger, who plies his trade in Saudi Arabia for the Steven Gerrard-coached Al Ettifaq, was nursing a broken collar bone and explained that during the last few days, he has been ramping up his progress ahead of Jamaica’s opening game against Group B opponents Mexico on Saturday night.
“It was a difficult end due to injury as I was out for about six weeks. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been working to get as fit as possible for the Copa America. I’ve got a few more days and, hopefully, I’ll be able to get off to a good start against Mexico,” he said.
Since making his debut for the senior team in 2023, Gray has earned 11 caps and registered five goals.
Since that debut, Gray has felt the respect of the fans and without the pressure of winning them over, can now focus wholeheartedly on contributing to success of the team.
“It’s been good as I’ve seen a lot since playing for Jamaica. The fans have shown me a lot of love and respect. It has also been a good experience and these tournaments bring a lot of exciting things to look forward to. I’m just taking it one game at a time and trying to contribute as much as I can for the country,” he said.
Gray, who was part of Jamaica’s historic Concacaf Nations League team that won the bronze medal on the back of a 1-0 victory over Panama, believes that that moment showed what the national team is capable of doing. He added that based on the talent that head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson can choose from, the growth of the team is incalculable.
“Throughout my career I want to gain as many medals and win as much as I can. I think we’re a nation that’s slowly building as you can see the talent and potential that we got. Things don’t happen overnight, but there’s a lot to look forward to, and the main objective is just to try to be as successful as we can.”