KINGSTON, Jamaica – Suspended Reggae Boy Leon Bailey, says he was contemplating taking a break from national duties ahead of his suspension from the Reggae Boyz squad selected for the Nations League semi-finals match-up against the United States on Thursday at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
At the same time, Bailey said he was not surprised by the suspension.

The in-form Aston Villa wingert who has scored eight times in 16 starts while providing numerous assists in his best season with the English Premier Club, was dropped from the Reggae Boyz set-up by coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, along with Trevante Stewart for breaking curfew in the last Jamaica camp.

Bailey made the disclosures in an interview with the ‘Let’s Be Honest’ podcast hosted by Jaisfrais.

“He (the coach) said to me that he wasn’t going to invite me to the next camp but way before this (suspension) happened I always had it in my head that it’s getting too much on my plate when it comes to the national team and I was really going to take a break from it (national duty) and then that (the suspension) just tip off everything,” Bailey said.

Nonetheless, he said he could not understand the decision to suspend him because he has had a good relationship with the coach.

“Everything the coach comes to me about, me and him have video calls about anything, he really comes to me about anything at all; him just pick up the phone and call me,” Bailey explained.

“So, for him to look at me and say him not inviting me to the next camp, I felt that was really harsh and it just says to me like me being in the national team right now, it a drain mi energy a lot every time I need to go to the national team because there’s so much that happen in the national team…I know what it is like,” Bailey said.

He expressed that the coach “could have been more understanding about things and he wasn’t”.

Bailey shared that with the last camp being in November, there was no communication until three days before the latest squad list was announced.

When asked whether he was blindsided by the decision to suspend him, Bailey said ‘no’ reiterating that “Before him say what him say to me I was on the verge of taking a break from the national team, like literally putting up my boots for a little bit to say, ‘you know what, it’s been too much”.

Bailey’s absence has left a huge hole in the Jamaica team as the other attacking options, former Everton winger Demarai Gray and leading goalscorer Shamar Nicholson while in the squad, are both serving suspensions for the first game against the USA.

Another blow was struck when West Ham’s Michail Antonio announced at the eleventh hour that he was not available.