It was on 20 June, four days before Jamaica opened their Gold Cup campaign with a draw against hosts United States, that Demarai Gray became the latest Premier League player to commit himself to the Reggae Boyz cause.
Twenty-five years after they called on English-born players with Jamaican heritage in the form of Robbie Earle, Frank Sinclair and others to reach the World Cup finals for the first – and so far only – time, Gray became the latest modern-day player to set his sights on helping the country of his family.
Gray, 27, was born in Birmingham and played for England at every age group level from Under-18 to Under-21s, a level at which the winger scored eight times from 26 appearances.
He even came close to a senior cap, he was on the bench for a friendly against Switzerland in 2018 but never got on.
Three years later, Gray was listed as one of the players attempting to secure a Jamaican passport to try and help in an attempt to reach last year’s World Cup in Qatar.
That process did not go through quickly enough for that plan to reach fruition but when his passport was finally approved last month, it allowed him to join a growing list of English-based players hoping to help Jamaica to just a second Gold Cup final.
They face their biggest test to date when they take on tournament favourites Mexico at 03:00 BST on Thursday in the semi-final.
“I have always been proud of my Jamaican heritage and joining the national team is a dream come true,” said Gray.
“With renewed ambition and exciting plans in the team’s pipeline, it feels like the perfect time to take this next step.”
Antonio leads a growing English influence
Having finished second in a group topped by the USA, Gray was one of seven players in the Jamaica starting line-up during the quarter-final victory against Guatemala that play in the English league, with six more in Heimir Hallgrimsson’s 23-man squad.
Most notable amongst them is West Ham striker Michail Antonio.
Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey and Fulham’s Bobby Decordova-Reid are also there, as is Swansea’s Joel Latibeaudiere, who skippered the England Under-17 World Cup side containing his then Manchester City team-mate Phil Foden to victory in India in 2017. Luton’s Amari’I Bell scored the quarter-final winner.
In previous years, players including Ivan Toney, Max Aarons, Nathan Ferguson and Rico Henry have were suggested as potential call-ups.
“I have always said it is not the best players, it is the right players,” said skipper Andre Blake, who has spent all his senior club career in Major League Soccer with Philadelphia Union.
“Sometimes I forget that this team is very new. A good team takes time to build and this is at its very early stages.”
Mexico the biggest test
Jamaica’s chances of victory against Mexico are not helped by the knowledge ‘El Tri’ named a strong squad. In contrast, holders United States, who play Panama in the other semi-final and needed a late goal to draw their opening group match against Jamaica, have left most of their senior European-based players out.
Jamaica have had to travel further to get to Las Vegas than Mexico and have a day less to prepare.
But while the main focus of their recruitment drive is on reaching the 2026 World Cup in North America, they approach this test with confidence.
“We know we have a good squad with good players that can do good things,” said Hallgrimsson, who took his native Iceland to the World Cup in 2018 and was named Jamaica coach last year.
“This is a team in the making.
“We are thinking about 2026 but it would be good to have success now. We want to win this tournament.”