Demarai Gray switches international allegiance from England to Jamaica
Everton's forward received an international call for the CONCACAF Gold Cup
Demarai Gray of Everton has joined the growing list of former England players to switch affiliations after being selected for Jamaica's CONCACAF Gold Cup team.
The 26-year-old made 26 outings for the U21 team under former boss Gareth Southgate between 2016 and 2018. He played for the Three Lions at the junior level.
Gray was later chosen by Southgate for an international friendly against Switzerland in September 2018.
After then, the forward mainly escaped the attention of England's selection. As a result, the youngster decided to join the Reggae Boyz after getting a Jamaican passport from his paternal grandparents.
Gray is the newest Premier League star to have been persuaded by improved playing time to make the transition, according to manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, who is thought to have been in communication with the player since September 2022.
Michail Antonio of West Ham made a commitment to represent his country in May 2021. Since then, he has won seven caps for his country, following several England call-ups that have been complicated, in part, by recurring injuries since 2016.
Leon Bailey, an Aston Villa player, made his debut for the U23 team four years prior to joining the team in 2019.
At the end of the month, Jamaica will compete in the initial phase of the tournament against Trinidad and Tobago and the recently crowned CONCACAF Nations League champions, the United States.
Demarai Gray has made 200 appearances in the Premier League and scored 19 goals. The forward also has 14 assists to his name. A league winner with Leicester City in 2015-16 will look to contribute towards Jamaica's success. He received an international call for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.