JAMAICA Reggae Boyz striker Michail Antonio made his long-awaited return to club football on Thursday in the Qatar Stars League. However, an immediate return to the national senior men’s team is unlikely.

Antonio made his first professional club appearance since December 2024 when he started for Al-Sailiya in a 0-4 defeat to Al-Duhail SC in Qatar’s top flight.

The 35-year-old, who was involved in a near-fatal car crash and suffered a broken leg in Essex two years ago, played 73 minutes before being substituted. He registered one shot, seven passes, and won four of his 12 duels.

It was a return to the pitch for the former West Ham United forward whose last club appearance came in a 1-3 loss to Leicester City in the English Premier League on December 3, 2024. It also marked his first competitive minutes since his three substitute appearances during the Reggae Boyz Concacaf Gold Cup campaign last summer.

Despite his return, Antonio is set to be left out of Jamaica’s squad for this month’s FIFA World Cup play-offs against New Caledonia of Oceania and potentially DR Congo of Africa.

Antonio, who has five goals in 25 appearances, was left on the bench by former head coach Steve McClaren for the final-round Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers against Bermuda and Trinidad & Tobago in September.

He was also left out of the remaining four squads in October and November, then in January was left out of the provisional squad for the inter-confederation play-offs by Interim Head Coach Rudolph Speid.

It’s also believed that if Jamaica qualifies for the World Cup, Antonio may not be selected due to the other options available to the coaching staff, although that hasn’t been officially confirmed.

Antonio, who turns 36 this month, has previously stated that it’s his dream to play in this summer’s showpiece in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

He said he had to “swallow his ego” in joining Al-Sailiya in Qatar, after being convinced to join by international teammate Mason Holgate who is in contention for making Speid’s squad for the play-offs this month.

Antonio struggled to earn a contract with a club following his release from West Ham, where he departed as the club’s top EPL goalscorer with 68 goals in 268 appearances.

He held talks with Brentford FC in the EPL and Leicester City — English Championship club of Reggae Boyz teammates Bobby Reid and Dujuan Richards — but picked up injuries during training stints, preventing either club from offering him a contract.

Antonio also held discussions with Charlton Athletic FC, which features Jamaicans Kaheim Dixon, Amari’i Bell and Tyreece Campbell, before choosing a move to Qatar instead.

He’s hoping to help Al-Sailiya avoid relegation from the Qatar Stars League as, with six games remaining, they sit in ninth place on 15 points — four points off automatic demotion.

— Daniel Blake