BY HOWARD WALKER

Observer staff reporter

walkerh@jamaiacobserver.com

IN response to national senior head coach Theodore Whitmore’s concern about the lack of a creative midfield player in his squad, discarded Reggae Boy Jermaine Hue says he is available to fill that position.

“I am always willing to represent my country, and it’s up to them,” Hue told the Observer last Sunday after leading Harbour View to a 1-0 win over Boys’ Town in a Digicel Premier League match.

“I have done interviews before and the question always came up about playing for the national team and, as I have said before, I am waiting,” Hue added.

Whitmore, in an exclusive interview with the Observer recently, outlined his problem in finding a creative midfielder after Jamaica failed to break down a South African defence in a dull 0-0 draw in their friendly international in South Africa.

Although Whitmore mentioned young Keammar Daley, the general thought is that Hue is the man whose magic will help to win games by providing for strikers and other players around him.

“Jermaine Hue is a class player, but does he want to play for Jamaica? And before we can even go into any discussion on that, we have to get that straightened out,” Whitmore was quoted as saying.

“I have never had the chance to coach Jermaine Hue, but it seems to me he’s frustrated with the past coaches, for some reason. To be honest, you have players who think they are being used, and probably Jermaine is one of them who thinks that he is only called to the senior team when the ‘name’ overseas-based players are not around,” added Whitmore then.

Hue, who made his debut for the Reggae Boyz in 1999 and scored 11 goals, remains optimistic.

“I am playing football at my club and the best thing for me is to keep playing and I am playing now. The national call, if it comes, I will deal with it,” he told the Observer.

Hue had just provided a little piece of “magic” as his 35-metre diagonal pass split opened the Boys’ Town back line and allowed Lovel Palmer the chance to pick out the onrushing Marclino Blackburn to tap home for the winner.

After the game, the Observer caught up with Hue’s club coach, Donovan Hayles, to find out if the former is indeed the player for the creative playmaker’s role in the national team.

“It is a pity that it takes this long for Jamaica or the national people to know that you need a playmaker. We can’t talk about work rate. Work rate is not just in defence; work rate is going forward,” Hayles noted.

He added: “No one can fault Jermaine Hue for the work rate he put out here tonight in attack. This is his nature. I wouldn’t ask Dwayne Miller (goalkeeper) to run out and try and get a goal for us. He is there to stand in the goal and perform.

“I am glad to hear that ‘Tappa’ (Whitmore) is looking in this direction. They say it is better to be late than never and I hope that if he (Hue) is called he’ll be given the opportunity to go and showcase himself. He has been called often times and was given the opportunity.

“Whatever little is left of Jermaine Hue, the country can only benefit and we must squeeze as much out of him while he is still playing,” said Hayles.