DALLAS, United States — Paul Hall, though blessed with vast experience playing at the professional level, ranks representing Jamaica as the highlight of his career.

The 49-year-old, who is currently an assistant coach with the Reggae Boyz, says the first day he laced up for his ancestral home, his life lifted to a stratosphere he never thought possible.

But in retrospect, his Jamaica experience is the icing on the cake of a journeyman player whose professional career spanned over 20 years, 685 games and 138 goals.

For Jamaica, Hall hit 14 goals in 48 appearances over a five-year period. This spell included his deadly partnership with Deon Burton in 1997 that helped Jamaica qualify for their first and only senior World Cup thus far — France ’98.

“It [representing Jamaica] is the greatest thing that ever happened to me as a footballer. It certainly changed my life, and I tell the other players [coming out of England] that it could change their lives too,” Hall told the Jamaica Observer.

The former Portsmouth striker says he uses every opportunity to deliver his testimony with the senior national team whenever he tries to sell the idea to English-born pros with Jamaican roots, who may be undecided.

“Some of these players, instead of waiting for the England call-up, I say to them that Jamaica is there. Plus, I think it’s great to come to this side of the world to play against teams that are not from Europe,” Hall said.

He said that reuniting with former Boyz teammates and fellow World Cup veteran Theodore Whitmore and Warren Barrett in the coaching ranks is special on its own, but getting the chance to give back is a motivation as well.

“I am enjoying it, and it’s good to be back with “Tappa” [Whitmore] and Warren [Barrett].

“It’s great to be back and it’s been too long. But, I have been educating myself as a coach and a retired footballer and I just wanted to come and give something back to the federation, the people of Jamaica.

“I just want to help Jamaica move forward from a footballing point of view — not just in the Gold Cup and the World Cup, but as a whole,” Hall said.