Carter in line for Reggae Girlz recall

National senior women’s football team head coach Hubert Busby Jr says winger Trudi Carter will be up for selection for the Reggae Girlz’s upcoming FIFA World Women’s Cup Qualifiers once she remains fit and is playing competitive club football.

Carter, 26, recently signed a one-year contract with Lithuanian club FC Gintra, after being without a club for more than a year. She last played for the national team in February 2020 during the Concacaf Olympic qualifying tournament before COVID-19 brought football to a halt.

She was previously signed with AS Roma in 2018, but a series of injuries led to her being released by the Italian club at the end of that season.

Busby says that he is delighted that Carter has found a club.

“The reason why she wasn’t brought in, wasn’t anything other than the fact she wasn’t playing and that is the typical example of why there needs to be something locally for the players there,” Busby said.

“She is signed with a Champions League squad in Lithuania and I believe this week she is going to have a match against AC Milan as part of her preparations for the season, so I am excited to see how she gets on.

“I am also excited to see how she progresses in her new environment, so we are all wishing her the best and we are all hoping that she continues to succeed.”

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

Busby says that only players who are playing competitive football will be considered for selection to the national team.

“The criteria are that you need to be playing in a professional environment, or in school, to be in consideration and obviously she is doing that now and we are excited for her and we are looking forward to monitoring her progress in the next few months,” he said.

“Everybody is a part of the plans because I have always maintained that in order to play for the national senior women’s team, then you have to be playing. But once players are playing there is no guarantee because only the best players will be picked.”

sports@gleanerjm.com