President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), Michael Ricketts, has hit back at former Reggae Boy Fitzroy Simpson after the British-based retired player slammed the federation for offering a reported US$3,000 per month to national head coach Theodore Whitmore.

Simpson, a member of the Jamaican team at the 1998 World Cup in France, labelled the contract offer by the JFF as derogatory and insulting to the former national player and added that such an offer would not have been made to an overseas coach.

Responding to the article in yesterday's publication, Ricketts said that Simpson doesn't know the amount that is being offered to Whitmore and, therefore, his comments are baseless.

"Simpson doesn't know what Whitmore, is getting and Simpson doesn't know where we are with the negotiations with Whitmore and so I just feel that it is an unfortunate comment and one that is totally unwarranted," said Ricketts.

The JFF boss said Simpson should get the facts before commenting.

Ricketts noted that the federation is still in negotiations with Whitmore, and as soon as the contract is signed, then an announcement will be made.

"I can't discuss that (contract) Whitmore will have to discuss that, but when we finalise the discussions, then we will make a comment," said Ricketts.

Last month, general secretary of the JFF, Dalton Wint, told The Gleaner there were a few sticking points, but money is not the main issue.

"We are still having some conversations with Whitmore as it relates to the contract," Wint said.

Whitmore, along with his assistant, Jerome Waite, has headed the Reggae Boyz football coaching programme since 2016, but is yet to sign a two-year contract that was placed before them by the federation last October.