Leon Bailey #7 of Jamaica dribbles during the first half of a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal match against Guatemala at TQL Stadium on July 09, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Dean/Getty Images)
Aston Villa winger, Leon Bailey, has been named as a surprise inclusion in the Reggae Boyz squad for the Copa America.
Bailey, who said earlier this year that he won’t be playing for the senior men’s national team for the foreseeable future, is among the 26 players named in the squad for the tournament in the United States.
Bailey appears to have buried the hatchet with the Jamaica Football Federation after some stinging criticisms of the team’s management in a recent podcast.
Bailey’s comments came after he was suspended by coach Heimir Hallgrímsson, for breaking team curfew after a Nations League game against Canada in Jamaica in November last year.
Goalkeeper and captain, Andre Blake, who underwent surgery two months ago, has also been named in the squad. Demarai Gray, Ethan Pinnock, and Joel Latibeaudiere, who were injury concerns, have also been named in the squad.
All four of Blake, Gray, Pinnock, and Latibeaudiere missed the recent World Cup qualifiers.
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Reggae Boyz players celebrating a goal by Shamar Nicholson in Jamaica’s 1-0 win over the Dominican Republic on June 6 at the National Stadium in Kingston. Image: JFF/IG
Daniel Johnson, who has been a mainstay in recent times has been left out of the squad. Johnson had started the 1-0 win against the Dominican Republic before coming off the bench in the 3-2 win over Dominica in the recent World Cup Qualifiers.
Dujuan ‘Whisper’ Richards has also been left out of the squad following reported injury concerns.
The selected players will fly on June 16 to Houston, where they will start the competition with a match against Mexico on June 22. There are also group games against Ecuador and Venezuela.
This will be Jamaica’s third appearance at the Copa America but they finished last in the group stage in both 2015 and 2016 without scoring a goal.
The full Reggae Boyz squad is:
GK: Andre Blake, Coniah Boyce-Clark, Jahmali Waite, Shaquan Davis
DEF: Amari’i Bell, Damion Lowe, Dexter Lembikisa, Di’Shon Bernard, Ethan Pinnock, Greg Leigh, Jon Bell, Michael Hector, Richard King, Wesley Harding
MID: Alex Marshall, Bobby Reid, Joel Latibeaudiere, Karoy Anderson, Kasey Palmer, Kevon Lambert
FWD: Demarai Gray, Kaheim Dixon, Leon Bailey, Michail Antonio, Renaldo Cephas, Shamar Nicholson
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Reggae Boyz Copa America squad. (Image: JFF/IG)
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