Blackpool’s defensive midfielder Kevin Stewart is the only newcomer in interim head coach Paul Hall’s 23-man Reggae Boyz squad for the next three FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Hall, who recently replaced former Reggae Boyz teammate Theodore Whitmore as head coach, selected the 28-year-old for the central defensive midfield role, while omitting veteran Je-Vaughn Watson and the warrior-like Anthony Grant.
The England-born Stewart was selected in a provisional 60-man squad for last summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup in the US but was not considered for the final 23-man squad.
Stewart has played for Tottenham Hotspur, Crewe Alexandra, Liverpool, Cheltenham Town, Burton Albion, Swindon Tow, and Hull City.
Aside from the omission of the aforementioned Watson, and Grant, Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey, and Spartak Moscow’s Shamar Nicholson are also missing.
The Reggae Boyz are currently lying in sixth place in the eight-nation points table with seven points. Canada lead with 16 points, just ahead of the US with 15, followed by Mexico and Panama on 14, with Costa Rica on nine.
El Salvador are seventh with six points followed by Honduras at the foot of the table on three points.
The Reggae Boyz welcome Mexico to an empty stadium on Thursday, after which they travel to Panama City to face that country on Sunday. They return home to entertain Costa Rica on February 2.
The top three teams at the end of the 14-game series earn automatic qualification to the Qatar World Cup Finals, with the fourth-placed team earning an intercontinental play-off for another shot at Qatar.
Hall was selected to lead the technical staff after the Jamaica Football Federation’s Technical Committee headed by Rudolph Speid voted overwhelmingly to out Whitmore, saying they had lost confidence in his ability to lead the Reggae Boyz to success.
Hall’s first squad for the qualifiers sees the return of midfielder Peter Vassell, who was a member of the Reggae Boyz team which lost 0-3 to Peru in Lima last Thursday.
The full squad is: Amal Knight, Dwayne Miller, Andre Blake, Kevin Stewart, Damion Lowe, Alvas Powell, Lamar Walker, Kemar Lawrence, Adrian Mariappa, Junior Flemmings, Peter Vassell, Devon Williams, Bobby Reid, Liam Moore, Andre Gray, Michail Antonio, Ethan Pinnock, Javon East, Gregory Leigh, Cory Burke, Javain Brown, Daniel Johnson, Ravel Morrison.
