Brentford defender Rico Henry is on the verge of making his international debut for Jamaica after being named in the provisional 26-man squad for the Reggae Boyz’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The 28-year-old left back, born in England and of Jamaican heritage, secured his Jamaican passport on Tuesday afternoon and now awaits formal clearance from the English Football Association to complete his switch of international allegiance. Approval is expected on Wednesday, clearing the way for his involvement against Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on Thursday. That match is to be followed by the Jamaica versus Curaçao contest in Kingston on Tuesday.

Henry has been a standout performer for Brentford since joining in 2016, making 198 appearances and scoring five goals for the Premier League club. Despite spells of misfortune with injuries, he has re-established himself as one of the league’s most dynamic fullbacks.

Jamaica head coach Steve McClaren said Henry’s mentality and top-flight quality made his selection an easy decision.

“Rico is a very good player,” McClaren said. “He’s a Premier League player. He’s had bad injuries and he’s fought back. It shows the mentality of the boy and he plays like that with that kind of mentality — enthused. He loves playing the game and he’s this season not played regularly but had games and has trained and is fit and looks very, very good, very sharp.

“He played last week in the EFL Cup, he along with [his clubmate] Ethan [Pinnock], who’s had minutes as well. So I had no hesitation in bringing Rico in. He’s the ideal age, he’s recovering. He’s got the experience, he’s a Premier League player, he can add to the squad,” the coach explained.

Henry’s arrival further deepens a Reggae Boyz defensive unit already boosted by Pinnock, with both expected to feature prominently as the Jamaicans seek to strengthen their World Cup push.

— Rachid Parchment

Jamaica footballers Dujuan Richards (left) and Rico Henry train at Stadium East in November 2025. (Photo: JFF)