Friday, December 15, 2023

British Jamaican All_Time Greatest Team

 This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Lurher Blissett and John Barnes

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index


This is my selection of All-Time Team for British Jamaicans.  All British-born Jamaican players are qualified to be on this fantasy team as well as any England internationals are Jamaicans. 
The number 23 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the World Cup Finals.

Since the start of the 20th century, Jamaicans have been present in the UK.  In the 1950s, Britain faced a struggling economy and significant labor shortages. Consequently, the British government turned to its overseas colonies for assistance and actively encouraged migration to fill the numerous job vacancies. Hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans made their way to the United Kingdom. 

In the realm of football, Viv Anderson holds the distinction of being the first black player to represent England. David James, in turn, became England's first black goalkeeper, while John Barnes holds the record for the highest number of appearances by an English Jamaican in the England national football team.  It is noteworthy that Jamaica achieved a significant milestone by qualifying for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France. This success story was made possible by a combination of a golden generation of homegrown talents and the contributions of British Jamaican footballers in the English Premier League. Inspired by this captivating history, I have written a blog highlighting the role of the British-Jamaicans on Jamaica's 1998 World Cup team

Kalvin Philips and Raheem Sterling
Team
At the time of writing, David James is the third all-time Premier league appearance record holder. He starred for Liverpool as one of the "Spice Boys".  However, his reputation suffered after a series of blunders, earning the nickname of "Calamity James".  He also played for Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City and Portsmouth. He picked up 53 caps for England between 1997 and 2010.  He was the starting keeper at the European Champions in 2004 and the World Cup Finals in 2010. He was England's first Black international goalkeeper.
David James
Alex Williams made 125 league appearance for Manchester City in 1980's. He helped City to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1984–85. He made the PFA Team of the Year for Division 2 in 1984-1985. He also played for Port Vale. However, he was forced into early retirement in September 1987 due to a recurring back injury.  He won the 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship and 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with England.  

Richardson began with Chelsea, but never played a game for them.  From 1976 to 1979, he played about 30 games with QPR which then in the top tier, making him the first Black goalkeeper since Arthur Wharton to play in that level.  He later played for  Sheffield United, and Coventry City.  He also played at international level for England at youth and semi-professional. In 1979, he played in a benefit match for West Bromwich Albion player Len Cantello, that saw a team of white players play against a team of black players.

RB: Viv Anderson 
In 1978, Viv Anderson became the first Black player to play for the English senior national team. He would earn 30 caps between 1978 and 1988.  He was on two World Cup team: 1982 and 1986, and two European Championship team: 1980 and 1988. He was a part of Brian Clough's Nottingham Forrest team that won back-to-back European Cup in 1979 and 1980.  He also played for Arsenal, Manchester United and and Sheffield Wednesday. 
Viv Anderson
RB: Kyle Walker 
Kyle Walker started with boyhood club Sheffield United and made his name with Tottenham Hotspurs after loan spells with Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa.  In 2017, he joined Manchester City for one of the most expensive fees. He won the treble in 2023.  At the time of writing, he has over 81 caps.  He went to the European Championship in 2016 and 2020 and the World Cup Finals in 2018 and 2022.

CB: Sol Campbell 
Sol Campbell was one of the greatest English defenders. He was a member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" that went undefeated in 2003-2004 season.  At the club level, he spent 9 seasons for Tottenham Hotspurs and served as its captain before moving to its rival Arsenal on a free transfer that sparked a controversy.  He later played for Portsmouth. For England, he earned 73 caps in 11 years.  He went to three World Cup Finals: 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Sol Campbell
Smalling played his 10 seasons with Manchester United, where he won two Premiership titles at the end of Sir Alex's tenure, and an Europa League and FA Cup after Sir Alex.  In 2020, he joined AS Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League.  From 2011 to 2017, he was capped 31 times for England.  He went to the 2014 World Cup as well as the Euro 2016. 

CB: Wes Morgan (Jamaica)
Rejected by Notts County, Wes Morgan was playing for non-league team before being discovered by Nottingham Forest in 2002. In 2012, he moved to Leicester Town. In the 2015-2016 season, he played every minute of Leicester Town's historical Preimership winning year and also served as the team's captain. At the time of writing, he had 30 caps for Jamaica.

CB: Des Walker 
Des Walker played 59 times for England between 1988 and 1993.  He started in all of England's games at the World Cup Finals in 1990. He was rated as one of the best defender at that Finals.  For club football, he mainly played for Nottingham Forrest between 1984 and 1992, and Sheffield Wednesday between 1993 and 2001.  He played one season at Sampdoria in Italy after the 1990 World Cup Finals.  He was even named in their PFA Team of Century between 1977 and 1996.  
Des Walker
LB/LW: Ashley Young 
Young started his career at Watford.  In January 2007, he transferred to Aston Villa.  He established himself in the first team at Villa Park and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2009. In 2011, Young signed for Manchester United for an undisclosed fee. He has gone on to win every trophy available in English football.  He also played for Everton, Inter Milan and Aston Villa. He played 39 times for England between 2007 and 2018.

LB: Danny Rose 
Danny Rose was a youth product with Leeds United in 2006, but never played for them.  He played for Tottenham Hotspur between 2007 and 2021.  He had loan spells with Watford, Peterborough United, Bristol City and Sunderland.  In 2022, he joined Watford.  Rose earned his first senior cap in a 3–2 victory against Germany in 2016.  He played 26 times between 2016 and 2019.  He played in Euro 2016 and the World Cup Finals in 2018. He was a part of the Team GB at the London Olympics.

Philips made his debut with Leeds in 2015.  He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for Championship in 2020.  In 2022, he was transferred to Manchester City.   He was a part of the team that won the treble.  In 2020, he earned his first cap with England.  Later, he had a starring role at the Euro 2020 after England reached the Final.  He was named England's 2020–21 Men's Player of the Year.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the son of former England international Mark Chamberlain.  He made his name with Southampton.  He signed for Arsenal in 2011 after a single season at the senior level.  Between 2017 and 2023, he played for Liverpool, winning the 2018–19 Champions League and 2019–20 Premier League.  In 2023, he joined Besiktas in Turkey.  Between 2012 and 2019, he had 35 caps.  He participated at the European Championship in 2012 and the World Cup Finals in 2014.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
CM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek 
Ruben Loftus-Cheek began his career with Chelsea in 2014.  For his first three seasons, he was mainly a backup player.  In 2017, he was sent on a loan to Crystal Palace.  He returned to Chelsea,  and then, another loan move to  Fulham in 2020. In 2023, he left Chelsea for AC Milan. In 2017, he made his national team debut with England.  He was capped 10 times.  He played a single match at the 2018 World Cup Finals.

CM/AM: Ricky Hill
From 1976 to 1989, Hill played for Luton Town where he was considered one of their best ever footballers.  He helped them to their promotion to the First Division and won the League Cup.  He also played in France and the United States. Between 1982 and 1986, Hill only played three times for England, but he was the fourth Black player to play for England’s Senior National team and the first British South Asian to represent England at the Senior level.  

RW/FW Theo Walcott 
Walcott, then 17 years old was a surpassingly named in Sven-Goran Ericsson's squad for the 2006 World Cup, despite having only made 13 appearances in senior football and none in the Premier League.  He made no appearance in Germany.  Fabio Capello did not take him to South Africa 2010 and an injury kept him from Brazil 2014.  At the time of writing, he made 47 caps for England.  Except for a loan spell, he has only played for Arsenal and Everton.

FW/RW: Raheem Sterling 
Raheem Sterling broke into the Liverpool lineup as a 17 years old in 2012, where he became their star players until 2015.  In the spring of 2015, he had a contract disputes with the club.  He moved to Manchester City for 44 million pounds.  He made his national team debut in 2012.  He played at the World Cup Finals in 2014, and Euro 2016 and 2020.  In 2019, he won the FWA Player of the Year. Liked John Barnes, he was born in Jamaica.  Since 2012, he played 82 times for England.
Raheem Sterling
Cunnugham was considered to be the first Black star player in England and an icon for a generation of Black players in England. With Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson, they formed an all-Black attack that was known as "The Three Degrees" with West Bromwich Albion in the late 1970's. In 1979, he became the first British player ever to play for Real Madrid. He returned to Manchester United in 1983. He was only capped 6 times by England and was overlooked for Euro 1980, despite starring at La Liga the season before.

John Barnes was widely considered to be one of the greatest Liverpool players, where he formed one of their greatest team playing alongside Ian Rush, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray Houghton.  before joining Liverpool, he played for Watford.  At Watford, he also helped them to the Final of the FA Cup in 1984.  He was voted PFA Player of the Year in 1988 and FWA Player of the Year in both 1988 and 1990.  He played 79 times for England, and went to two World Cup Finals.
John Barnes
His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a British record transfer fee to sign him from Newcastle United. Cole spent six years with Manchester United and won nine trophies, including the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999.  Despite of his decorated club career, he only played 15 times for England, and never in a major tournament.

Leslie was the only black professional player in England during his time with Plymouth Argyle. Leslie enjoyed a 14–season spell with Argyle, having joined the club from Barking Town in 1921.  He was called up to England in 1925 as a non-travelling reserve, but the call-up was withdrew. It has been speculated because of his skin color.  He would have become the first Black player to represent England.  He was born in England.
Jack Leslie
Born in Jamaica, Blissett is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division. He holds Watford's all-time records for appearances and goals, having played 503 games and scored 186 goals.  He played briefly for AC Milan, where he was a cult hero.  He was one of the first Black footballers to play for England and the first one to score.   In total, he had 14 caps.

ST: Ian Wright 
Wright was a legendary striker with Arsenal.  Before joining Arsenal, he was a hero with Crystal Palace.  At the time of writing, he was their highest goal scorer since the War.  In 1991, he joined Arsenal.  He spent 7 seasons with them, winning all three domestic trophies and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.  Despite being a top scorer in the domestic league(he scored over 20 goals every season from 1991 to 1998), he only played 33 times for England and was never selected for any of the major tournaments.
Ian Wright
Honorable Mentions
Dillon Barnes, Derek Richardson, Reece James, Kieran Tripper, Paul Parker, Frank Sinclair, Adrian Mariappa, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Darryl Powell, Fitzroy Simpson, Brennan Johnson, Jaidon Anthony, Michail Antonio, Ivan Toney, Darren Bent, Aaron Lennon, Mark Chamberlain, Jermaine Pennant,  Darius Vassell, Paul Davis, Paul Hall, Darren Bent, Andros Townsend, Garth Crooks, Lindy Delapenha, Callum Wilson, Deon Burton, Trevor Sinclair 

Squad Explanation
-- In December, 2023, I updated Jamaica/Jamaican Diaspora.  I realised that many Jamaican footballers and British-Jamaican footballers were overlooked.  I decided to create an All-Time Team for Jamaican international players and this British Jamaican team respectively at the same team.  I also did a review of Black Players who played for England at the same time.
-- All players must be Jamaicans who are either born in Great Britain or have been capped by any of the British national teams.  I accepted British-born Jamaican players who were capped by Jamaica, but contributions to Jamaica are not a criterion.
-- This team was not about England only, but nobody from the other parts of Great Britain were ever considered.  In actually, this team was about England.  Wes Morgan was the only non-English international player selected.
-- John Barnes and Laurie Cunningham were the two greatest British Jamaican players. Being the first Jamaican to play for England, Viv Anderson was an automatic selection.  David James, Sol Campbell, Des Walker and Raheem Sterling were also undisputed.
John Barnes and Des Walker
-- In 1978, Viv Anderson made history as the first black footballer to earn a senior cap for England. Shortly after, in 1979, Laurie Cunningham, also of Jamaican descent, joined him in representing the national team. The momentum continued in 1982 when a wave of black footballers made their senior national team debuts. The journey began with Cyrille Regis, who, though not Jamaican, received his cap before the 1982 World Cup Finals. Following the World Cup, three British Jamaicans, namely Ricky Hill, Luther Blissett, and Mark Chamberlain, all born in Great Britain, earned their caps. Later in 1983, John Barnes made his debut, becoming the first Jamaican-born player to be capped by England. Thus, six out of the first seven black English international players had Jamaican roots.
-- That era in the English league witnessed a remarkable emergence of black players. John Barnes and Luther Blissett formed a lethal duo at Watford, while Mark Chamberlain made a name for himself at Stoke. Danny Wallace, though not Jamaican, left his mark at Southampton, Ricky Hill at Luton, and Alex Williams at Manchester City. This period was not far removed from Viv Anderson's groundbreaking England debut in 1978 and the awe-inspiring "Three Degrees" of West Bromwich Albion, consisting of Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham, and Brendon Batson. Notably, Cunningham was the sole Jamaican among the trio, representing the rich Jamaican heritage within the English football landscape.
-- Both Lindy Delapenha and Gil Heron were pioneers in the English and Scottish league respectively.  Both were born in Jamaica at a time under British rule and before the foundation of the Jamaican national team in 1962.  Heron probably played for a Caribbean or even a Jamaican representative side before going to play club football in the United States and Scotland.  I did not know if they were considered Britons.  So, I kept them off this team for now.
Goalkeepers
-- David James was the first Black goalkeeper to represent England at the senior level.  Since his time, England has not capped another Black goalkeeper at that level.  
-- Alex Williams won the 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship and 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with England.  He was an icon and hero of many Black goalkeepers from the United Kingdom.  I did not know if racism played a part in England snubbing him for a senior cap since he was playing in the same generation as Ray Clemence, Joe Corrigan, Peter Shilton, Chris Woods and Gary Bailey.  The competition was fierce during his prime.
Alex Williams
-- At the time of writing, Dillion Barnes had a single cap for Jamaica while Jamal Blackman played some games at the youth level for England.  
Both Dillion Barnes and Jamal Blackman were lower division players playing in England.  So Derek Richardson seemed to be the obvious third choice.  He was the first Black goalkeeper since Arthur Wharton to play in the English league.  In QPR, he was used as an understudy to Phil Parkes, but from 1976 to 1979, he played about 31 games with QPR which then was in the top tier.  He actually broke the racial barrier before Alex Williams did by playing in the First Division.  
-- Lawrence Vigouroux who was born in England, and he represented Chile at the youth level.  His father was from Chile, but his mother was a Jamaican.  Being Chilean international did not affect his status on this team. He is a British Jamaicans.  At the moment, he is a League Two Player.  So I continued with Jake Blackman who was a Championship goalkeeper.
Defenders
-- Sol Campbell is on my England's All-Time team.  For England, he was named on the Team of the Tournament in both 2002 World Cup Finals and Euro 2004.  He was considered one of the best centrebacks in the world of his generation.  For Arsenal, he was being part of the team that became known as The Invincibles for their undefeated 2003–04 Premier League campaign. 
-- Des Walker was another sure-in defender. On four straight occasions, he was selected for the PFA Team of the Year between 1989 and 1992.  He was even named in the PFA Team of Century between 1977 and 1996.  
-- For my Jamaican/Jamaican diaspora team, I placed Wes Morgan and Frank Sinclair ahead of Chris Smalling because they played for Jamaica and contributed more to the island nation.  But this team was about British Jamaicans.  The Jamaican international players did not get priority over here.  Smalling had 31 senior caps for England and went to a World Cup Finals.  He also played over 200 games for Manchester United.  
-- Wes Morgan was Nottingham Forest longest-serving player when he transferred to Leicester City in 2012.  In the 2015-2016 season, he played every minute of Leicester Town's historical Premiership winning year.  
-- Frank Sinclair was a star player in his time with Chelsea, but the other players had accomplished more.  Morgan's Leicester City's Premiership winning season was very significant in the history of the English football.
-- Chris Smalling also operated as a rightback, but I still took both Viv Anderson and Kyle Walker.  Being the first Jamaican British or Black player to be capped by England at the senior level made Viv Anderson an undisputed choice for this team.  He was an iconic footballer of his time.  He also won back-to-back European Cups with Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.  Kyle Walker had over 80 caps for England.  At the time of writing, he was named on the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions. He was a big part of Manchester City's continental treble in the 2022-2023 season.  The pair kept Frank Sinclair who was also a rightback off the team.  Reece James is still an emerging talent as of December, 2023.  He alongside Kieran Tripper and Paul Parker made honorable mention.  Tripper was named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2022-2023 season.  Paul Parker started on most of England's games at the 1990 World Cup team.  That campaign was England's best result since 1966.  He was a rightback, but he also played as a centreback for his club team briefly.
Kyle Walker
-- Both of Ashely Young's parents came from Jamaica.  He played 39 times for England.  He was named twice on the PFA Team of the Year.  Danny Rose was also named twice in the PFA Team of the Year.  
Midfielders/Wingers
-- I selected three contemporary midfielders to discuss. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who achieved notable success with Liverpool, won the 2018-19 Champions League and the 2019-20 Premier League. He established himself as a decorated player. While at Arsenal, he primarily served as a right winger or wingback, but his preferred position was central midfield, where he excelled after joining Liverpool. Kalvin Phillips faced some challenges after his move to Manchester City in 2022, but he played a pivotal role in England's impressive run at Euro 2020. His performances earned him recognition as England's Player of the Year in the 2021-2022 season. The tournament marked England's best finish in a senior international tournament since 1966. Ruben Loftus-Cheek boasts over eight seasons in the Premiership as of the time of writing. He also represented England in the 2018 World Cup Finals. His career trajectory has been significantly more successful than that of Darryl Powell and Fitzroy Simpson. Throughout his career, Loftus-Cheek has been deployed in various positions, including right-back, central defender, and striker. However, his true strengths lie in central or attacking midfield. While his versatility played a role in his selection, it is worth noting that I specifically required him as a midfielder.
-- After considering the three midfielders previously mentioned, the team was still in need of a fourth midfielder. Several candidates made the shortlist for this position, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Ricky Hill, Darryl Powell, and Fitzroy Simpson.
-- Maitland-Niles' best position should be a right winger.  Since this team was loaded with right-side wide players (see below), I immediately dropped him.  I considered Powell a better player than Simpson.  He played more games than Simpson at the top tiers of English football.  So it would be between Ricky Hill and Darryl Powell.
-- Ricky Hill, the fourth black player to represent England at the senior national team level, holds a significant place in football history. Notably, he was also the first British South Asian to don the England jersey (his father's family from India via Jamamica). Hill played a pivotal role in Luton Town's promotion to the First Division in 1982, marking a memorable achievement in his career. Moreover, Hill was part of an era that witnessed a wave of black footballers making a resounding impact on English football in the early 1980s. 
While Darryl Powell might have had the potential to make a notable impact on the Jamaican national team, his contributions to English football were less distinguished. In contrast, Ricky Hill was widely regarded as one of Luton Town's greatest players.
-- Raheem Sterling was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 2019. At one point, he was the most expensive English international player.  He was a key player for Manchester City.  He was mainly a forward, but he could also play wide on the right. 
-- Despite the nostalgic and sentimental feelings associated with Mark Chamberlain in the 1980's, his inclusion in the team was overshadowed by the presence of his son, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Raheem Sterling. Additionally, Theo Walcott's impressive record of 564 senior matches in the Premier League, scoring 129 goals primarily from the right wing, and his 47 caps for England made him a compelling choice. Consequently, there was no room for Mark Chamberlain in the team.
-- Jermaine Pennant shone for Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final, but his career was left unfulfilled.  Aaron Lennon went to two World Cup Finals.  Andros Townsend played 12 times for England.  They all made honorable mentions.
-- The left wing was much easier to select.  I had two of the best players on the entire team. John Barnes was born in Jamaica, but he played for England. His career with Liverpool FC was well-known.  Laurie Cunningham inspired many Black players in the United Kingdom.  They forced Ashley Young to the left wingback position.  Trevor Sinclair made honorable mentions. Mark Chamberlain was also considered.  He could play both sides of the wings. 
Laurie Cunningham
Forwards
-- Ian Wright was elected into the English Football Hall of Flame.  Despite being a top scorer in the domestic league (he scored over 20 goals every season from 1991 to 1998), he only played 33 times for England and was never selected for any of the major tournaments.  Andy Cole's career with Manchester United spoke for itself.   He was a big part of Manchester United's treble in 1999.   His partnership with Dwight Yorke was one of most fearsome in the history of the English football league. He is the 4th All-Time leading scorer in the Premier League.
-- Then, I selected Jack Leslie.  He received a call-up by England in 1926, but the English FA later withdrew it presumedly after they learned that he was Black.  He would have been the first Jamaican or Black player to be capped by England over 50 years before Viv Anderson.   He was more historical significant than most players on this blog.
-- Luther Blissett still holds Watford's all-time records for both appearances (503) and goals (186).  He played alongside John Barnes under manager Graham Taylor with Watford in the early 1980's.  There were some romantic notion of a pair of Jamaican-born players tearing up the English league in the early 1980's. As mentioned above, it was a period that set the foundation for other Black  players.  Blissett also helped Watford to jump from the Fourth Division to top flight runners-up in a relatively short period.  His reputation however was tarnished by his move to AC Milan, but his association with AC Milan turned him into a cult player in Milan.  His name had some cultural impact.  
Luther Blissett
-- Daniel Sturridge was selected for the 2014 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016, earning 28 England caps in total.  He was the last player cut on this team.  Darren Bent and Darius Vassell were also seriously considered.
-- Throughout his career Gareth Crooks was an active member of the Professional Footballers' Association and was elected the first black chairman of the union.
-- Deon Burton was a hero in Jamaica, but the criteria for this team was different.  His club career was bouncing between the Premiership and the Championship.  The other forwards in questions were all solid players in the top tiers in English football.
-- Alberto Spencer was born in Ecuador.  There was a rumor that England considered calling him up, but I really did not know whether it was a true story nor he was actually eligible to play for England.  He was not considered.

Formation


















Thursday, December 14, 2023

Jamaica All-Time Greatest Team

 This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.


His Facebook and Instagram

Gold Cup 2015

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index


This is my selection of All-Time Team for Jamaica and Jamaican diaspora.  Both players who were capped by Jamaica and any other national teams are qualified to be on this fantasy team. The key factor is contribution to Jamaican football. The number 23 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the World Cup Finals.

When I first started to work on the original Jamaica/Jamaican Diaspora in 2017, I wanted to include Jamaican superstars such as John Barnes, Alberto Spencer, Sol Campbell and Laurie Cunningham.  So instead of a Jamaica All-Time team, I create a Jamaicans and Jamaican diaspora team.  But when I updated Jamaica/Jamaican Diaspora in December, 2023, I realized that I was ignoring a lot of talented Jamaican international players.  So I decided to create an All-Time Team for Jamaican international players and another one for British Jamaica respectively at the same team.  

Jamaica is known for its fine athletes.   Lennox Lewis, Usain Bolt Donovan Bailey, etc all came from Jamaica. Several Jamaican-born footballers such as England's John Barnes became star players in the UK and the United States.  However, its national football team never made almost any impact in the international stage until 1997.  In 1998, the Reggae Boyz qualified for the World Cup Finals in France.  Their success story was a mixture of a golden generation of homegrown talents and the mobilization of British Jamaican footballers in the English Preimer League. I have written a blog about the British-Jamaicans on Jamaica's 1998 World Cup team

Jamaica at World Cup 1998

Team
Warren Barrett played for Cornwell College in Jamaica before joining Violet Kickers where he played most of his careers.  He also played one season for Wadadah F.C. for a season in Jamaica.  He captained his nation at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. According to the Jamaica Football Federation, Barrett earned 127 caps for the Reggae Boyz, but this figure has not been officially acknowledged by FIFA.  

GK: Donovan Ricketts 
Donovan Ricketts joined Bolton Wanders in 2004, but never played a game.  Then, he played more than 100 games for Bradford City in England, and has more than 100 appearances in Major League Soccer and has twice been named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. He was also the captain of the Jamaica national football team, earning 100 caps for his country, until his retirement from international football in 2013.

GK: Andre Blake 
Since 2016, Andre Blake became the starting goalkeeper for Philadelphia Union.  At the time of writing, he was voted as the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year three times.  Before that, he played NCAA soccer for University of Connecticut.   He was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy in 2013. For Jamaica, he earned his first cap in 2014.  He won the CONCACAF Gold Cup Golden Glove Award in 2017 as Jamaica reached the final.  He had over 70 caps for Reggae Boyz.
Andre Blake
RB: Linval Dixion
In 1995, he signed with the Charleston Battery of the USISL. He moved to Hazard United in the fall of 1995 and played for them until 2002 when he returned to the Battery for two seasons in the USL A-League. In 2003, Dixon and his teammates won the A-League championship. He has captained Jamaica and was a participant at the 1998 World Cup. He made his debut in 1991 and played his last international in 2004 against Venezuela, collecting over 90 caps.

RB/CB: Frank Sinclair 
Frank Sinclair started his career with Chelsea where he spent 8 seasons. He won the FA Cup in 1996-1997.  And he won a League Cup with Leicester Town in 2000.  He played for many clubs all over England. His performance in England led him to be call-up by Jamaica for the 1998 World Cup Finals in 1998. He was one of 7 English-born Jamaican players on the team. He played 28 caps for Jamaica between 1998 and 2003.
Frank Sinclair
Ian Goodison began his career in minor Jamaican football leagues and was discovered in 1996 by René Simões who introduced him straight into the national squad. He joined Olympic Gardens in 1997. From 1999 to 2002, he played for Hull City in England.  He later played for Seba United and Tranmere Rovers.  From 1996 to 2009,  he has collected a country all-time record of 120 caps.  

Marshall played NCAA soccer before he played in MLS where he spent bhis entire career.  He started with Colorado Rapids. His longest stint was with LA Galaxy where he played from 2002 to 2007.  He won two MLS Cup with them. He played for Miami Fusion, Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders.  He appeared in 83 matches from 2000–2010 before retiring from international football in January 2010.   

CB: Wes Morgan 
Rejected by Notts County, Morgan was playing for non-league team before being discovered by Nottingham Forest in  2002. He began a star over there.  In 2012, he moved to Leicester Town.  In the 2015-2016 season, he played every minute of Leicester Town's historical Premiership winning year and also served as the team's captain. He was the first Jamaican international to win the title. At the time of writing, he had 30 caps for Jamaica.

LB Kemar Lawrence 
Lawrence was the son of goalkeeper Orville Edwards.  He started with Harbour View. From 2015 to 2019, he played for NY Red Bulls before joining Anderlecht.  He played for Toronto FC and Minnesota United.  He was named in the MLS Best XI in 2018 and became an All-Star in 2019.  He played 73 times for Jamaica since 2013.  He was named in the Team of Tournament in the 2015 Gold Cup. He was named in the IFFHS CONCACAF Team of the Decade: 2011–2020.

LB/LW: Ricardo Gardner 
Ricardo Gardner started with Harbour View at home. His performances for Jamaica during the 1998 World Cup attracted English First Division side Bolton Wanderers. He played 14 seasons for Bolton Wanderers  of which 11 were spent in the Premier League. Gardner earned 112 caps for the Jamaica national football team, scoring 9 goals and playing at four CONCACAF Gold Cups and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He had 112 caps and went to the 1998 World Cup Finals.
Ricardo Gardner 
DM/CM: Fitzroy Simpson 
Simpson notably played in the Premier League for Manchester City, Scottish Premier League for Hearts and the Irish IFA Premiership for Linfield. He also played in the Football League for Swindon Town, Bristol City, Portsmouth and Walsall before ending his career in non-league football with Telford United, Havant & Waterlooville and Eastleigh. Born in the UK, he played for Jamaica at the WC in 1998. He had 43 caps.

Peter Cargill also played for local sides Swallowfield FC, CC Lions, Hazard United and Harbour View and also spent 8 years in Israel with Maccabi Netanya from 1987 and 1994 and Hapoel Petah Tikva for a season. He captained the Reggae Boyz and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He collected a total of 84 caps from 1984 to 1998 and scored 3 times.

AM/CM: Theodore Whitmore 
Whitmore is considered one of the greatest player who had played for Jamaica. He started his club career at Montego Bay Boys Club, and has since played for Violet Kickers and Seba United in his native Jamaica. He was signed on a free by English league side Hull City, but an accident in Jamaica cut short his Hull career. Scottish team Livingston acquired his services in 2003, and in June 2004 he signed for Tranmere Rovers. He had 127 caps for Jamaica.
Theodore Whitmore 
CM: Darryl Powell 
The son of a Reggae musician, Powell was born in Lambeth, London, and his career included spells at English clubs Portsmouth, Derby County, Birmingham City, Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, as well as a stint at Colorado Rapids in the USA. He played for Derby between 1995 and 2002.  He was one of the British-born Reggae Boyz playing for Jamaica in the 1998 World Cup in France. He has 21 caps between 1998 and 2001.

Earle broke into the professional game with Port Vale in 1982. He spent nine years the club. He was later voted the club's PFA Fans' Favourites. He moved on to Wimbledon in 1991, where he also spent nine years. He made nearly 300 league games for each club, scoring 77 and 59 goals respectively. He also represented Jamaica on 8 occasions between 1997 and 1998, scoring one international goal. He appeared in the 1998 World Cup, scoring his nation's first ever goal in the finals.

AM: Allan Cole 
At the peak of his powers, Cole was a midfield maestro local fans compared to Pele. He remains the Jamaica's youngest senior football international, donning national colours against a Brazilian team when he was only 15 years old.Allan Cole played in the NASL with the Atlanta Chiefs in 1968, and in Brazil with Náutico around 1972. He is largely known as one of Jamaica's greatest footballer.  In addition to his football career, Cole was also the manager of the Jamaican reggae star Bob Marley and his band The Wailers. He was credited as co-writing the 1976 song "War".
Bob Marley playing against Alan Cole
Williams played college soccer for the University of Rhode Island where he remains the team's all-time leading scorer, with 52 goals and 45 assists. He played for many MLS clubs before joining Real Salt Lake in 2005 winning a single MLS Cup there. He has 97 caps with the team and 13 goals. He played for his country in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, making one substitute appearance. 
Bailey arrived in Europe at the age of 13 and played for a number of clubs at youth level before being signed by Belgian side Genk in 2015, where he was named Belgian Young Footballer of the Year. His success in Belgium earned him a move to Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in 2017. He was named Bundesliga Team of the Year in 2018.  After four years at the club, he was signed by Aston Villa in 2021.  He previously refused a call-up by Jamaica until 2019.
Leon Bailey
LWF/ST: Luton Shelton
Shelton began his career with Harbour View in 2003.  He moved to plat overseas in 2006. His international club career included stops at Helsingborg, Sheffield United, VÃ¥lerenga, Karabükspor and Volga Nizhny Novgorod.  From 2004 to 2013, he played 75 times for Jamaica.  He is their all-time leading scorer with 35 goals.  He is the only man to score four goals on his international début.  He played in three Gold Cups.

FW: Lindy Delapenha 
In April 1948 he joined Portsmouth. There, he became the first Jamaican to play professional football in England.  In 1950, he transferred to Middlesbrough where his career took off. He became Boro's leading scorer in the 1951–52, 1953–54 and 1955–56 seasons. He moved to Mansfield Town in 1958. Delapenha played non-league football, Hereford United and Burton Albion. He won the Southern League Cup in 1964 with Burton.

FW: Gil Heron 
Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he moved to Canada as a youth. He played for Detroit Corinthians and Detroit Wolverines, where he was top goalscorer in the 1946 season. He was spotted by a scout from Glasgow Celtic where he became the first Black to play for Celtic.  He also played for Third Lanark and English club Kidderminster Harriers before moving back to Detroit Corinthians. At Celtic he earned the nicknames "The Black Arrow" and "The Black Flash".

Lowe started his career at Harbour View, before Montreal Impact in 1996. He later played with Waterhouse, Richmond Kickers, Rochester Raging Rhinos, Kansas City Wizards, Port Vale, Rushden & Diamonds, Coventry City, Portmore United, Miami FC, and Arnett Gardens before he retired in 2008. He played 65 times for Jamaica scoring 27 goals.

ST: Dean Burton 
Between 1994 and 2016, Dean Burton played for numerous clubs in English football including Portsmouth, Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday. He played in the Premier League with Derby. In 1997, he became the first group of British-born footballers to play for Jamaica. He was their hero as Jamaica qualified for the World Cup for the first time.  He was named Jamaican Sportsman of the Year in 1997. He had a total of 62 caps between 1997 and 2009.
Deon Burton
Honorable Mention
Selwyn Murphy, Don Clarke, Orville Edwards, Aaron Lawrence, Anthony Corbett, Deon Wilmot, Shavar Thomas, Jermaine Taylor, Adrian Mariappa, Claude Davis, Demar Philips, Durrant Brown, Ethan Pinnock, Michael Hector, Damion Lowe, Rodolph Austin, Je-Vaughn Watson, Robbie Earle, Marcus Gayle, Paul Hall, Richard McDonald, Shamar Nicholson, Darren Mattocks, Walter Boyd, Jason Euell, Michail Antonio, Aldrick 'Allie' McNab, Paul Young.

Squad Explanation
-- In December 2023, when I updated Jamaica/Jamaican Diaspora, I noticed many talented Jamaican international or overseas Jamaicans were not recognised.  So I create this All-Time Team for Jamaican international player and another one for British Jamaica respectively at the same time.  I also did a review of Black Players who played for England at the same time.  
-- The selection is mainly based up the successes of the players in their entire career.  However, some naturalised players only spent a few years with the Reggie Boyz. So, I tried to use contributions to the national team as the main criteria since this team was largely about the Jamaican national team. I also gave extra considerations to Lindy Delapenha, Gil Heron and Alan Cole because of their legendary status in Jamaica. They never played internationally for Jamaica.  I cited them as being "heroes of Jamaican football" as a major factor for selecting them.
Lindy Delapenha 
-- I did a blog entry on British-Jamaicans on Jamaica's 1998 World Cup team, but at the time of creation, I do not have enough players to form a British Jamaican All-Time team.  I do not have candidates for goalkeepers.  
-- In 1998, Jamaica went to their only World Cup Finals at the time.  Warren Barrett, Frank Sinclair, Ian Goodison, Peter Cargill, Andy Williams, Deon Burton, Theodore Whitemore, Darryl Powell, Fitzroy Simpson, Onandi Lowe, Robbie Earl and Ricardo Gardner made the team.
-- Jamaica finished second in the Gold Cup for both 2015 and 2017.  Andre Blake and Kemar Lawrence were on both teams while Wes Morgan was on the 2015 team.
-- Only 6 players from this team were born in the United Kingdom.
-- In 2023, Yard Hype, an entertainment website in Jamaica came up with their All-Time Best XI.  The players were Andre Blake, Ricardo Gardner, Ian Goodison, Wes Morgan, Demar Phillips, Allan ‘Cole, Theodore Whitmore, Peter Cargill, Andy Williams, Luton Shelton and Deon Burton.
-- The IFFHS complied their All-Time Best XI for Jamaica in 2021. That team included Warren Barrett, Frank Sinclair, Wes Morgan, Ian Goodison, Ricardo Gardner, Darryl Powell, Robbie Earl, Lindy Delapenha, Gil Heron, Deon Burton and Leon Bailey.
-- Craig Butler, founder of Phoenix Academy, came up with his All-Time Best XI.  They were Andre Blake, Anthony Corbett, Deon Wilmot, Ian Goodison, Ricardo Gardner, Peter Cargill, Allan Cole, Onandi Lowe, Leon Bailey, Walter Boyd, and Luton Shelton.  His team included bench players: Theodore Whitmore, Aldrick 'Allie' McNab, Richard McDonald, Damion Lowe and Shamar Nicholson.  This list seemed to favor Jamaican-born and trained players.
-- I found this ranking of the Top 25 Jamaican All-Time Soccer players by BOLAVIP.  I used it as a reference.
Goalkeepers
-- In 2014, I selected Warren Barett and Donovan Ricketts for my Jamaica/Jamaican Diaspora team.  Barett played in the 1998 World Cups while Ricketts was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2010 and 2013.  Andre Blake had won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year 3 times.  In 2020 and 2022, he was shortlisted and finished among the top five for the MVP of the year.  The three of them were undisputed.
Warren Barett
-- I also looked Vester Constantine who was related to Learie Constantine.  Learie Constantine was a former Trinidadian cricketer, lawyer and politician who served as Trinidad and Tobago's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and became the UK's first black peer. 
-- I came upon Selwyn Murphy and Don Clarke, but I had no information about them.  They were from the older generations. Orville Edwards and Aaron Lawrence deserved to be honorable mention.

Defenders
-- Frank Sinclair is on my CONCACAF All-time 23 member teamHe began his career as a leftback, but he was a much better central defender or rightback.  He was a top defensive player when he was with Chelsea FC.  Wes Morgan was an ever-present fixture in the Leicester City Premier league-winning side in 2016. He became the first Jamaican to win the Premier League title.  Morgan only played 30 times for Jamaica and Sinclair 28 times, but Morgan helped Jamaica to finish second at the 2015 Gold Cup, and Sinclair played in the 1998 World Cup Finals. Ian Goodison is Jamaica's most capped player.  So Sinclair, Goodison and Morgan easily made the team.
Wes Morgan
-- For the last centreback, I looked into Tyrone Marshall, Durrant Brown, Adrian Mariappa, Claude Davis and Jermaine Taylor.
-- Tyrone Marshall could play as a forward and midfield.  He had over 80 caps, and was named in the Gold Cup Team of Tournament in 2005.  I took him because BOLAVIP named him the 23rd greatest footballers from Jamaica. 
-- Adrian Mariappa could also play as a rightback.  He spent many years with Watford in EnglandJermaine Taylor was named on the Team of Tournament for 2017 Gold Cup.  He also played over 101 times for Jamaica.  He had a lomg career in MLS.  Damion Lowe is the son of Onandi Lowe who is a part of this All-Time team.  He helped Jamaica to reach the Final of 2017 Gold Cup.  He also made the CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI in 2021.  They made honorable mentions.
-- I did not seriously consider Ethan Pinnock due to the fact that he switched to play for Jamaica late in his career.  He was put on honorable mention because he spent some time in the Premiership and was voted into PFA EFL Championship Team of the Year: 2020–21.
-- Frank Sinclair was also a very good rightback.  So I only selected Linval Dixon.  He is Jamaica's second's most capped player with 127 caps.  He was a rightback according to transfermarkt.  According the BOLAVIP, he was ranked 8th best Jamaican footballer ever.
-- I had limited information about Anthony Corbett who played for Reggie Boyz between 1985 and 1993.  I did not know his true position. He might have been a rightback.  Deon "Messy" Wilmot seemed to be a club legend with Santos FC (Jamaica), but I also don't know much about him.  
-- Ricardo Gardner was one of the most famous Jamaican internationals.  He was an undisputed choice for the leftback position. He spent 14 years with Bolton Wanderers, of which 11 were spent in the Premier League. Kemar Lawrence played 60 times for Jamaica.  He was named in IFFHS CONCACAF Team of the Decade (2011–2020).  Demar Philips with 72 caps made honorable mention.
Kemar Lawrence
Midfielders/Wingers
-- In 2014, I selected both Fitzroy Simpson and Darryl Powell for my Jamaican/Jamaican diaspora team probably because I was Anglocentric.  Both were naturalised for the World Cup Finals in 1998.  Simpson came along at the end of the World Cup Qualifiers while Powell did not join until after Jamaica booked their tickets to France. That should not be a factor to improve or diminish their status with this All-Time team.  Nevertheless, I reexamined their standings in 2023 against the likes of several midfielders.
-- In 2015, Rodolph Austin captained Jamaica to their first ever final of the Gold Cup, scoring one goal in the process, before losing 3–1 to Mexico in the final.  However, he spent most of his club career in Leeds United playing in the EFL Championship.  Fitzroy Simpson and Darryl Powell at least did spend time at the Premiership. DM Je-Vaughn Watson had a long career in the MLS.  He played 95 times for Jamaica.  He was also a central defender. 
Peter Cargill did not have a high-profile club career, but he was selected by Yard Hype and Craig Butler on their All-Time Best XI team respectively.  He was also listed as a Top 25 players by BolaVIP.  He had a total of 84 caps while Simpson had 43 and Powell only 21.  He was a big part of Rene Simoes' tenure with Jamaica before the naturalization of British players and continued to be a vital member of the team afterward. For this team, I decided to take Peter Cargill, Fitzroy Simpson and Darryl Powell.
-- Theodore Whitmore is considered to be the greatest Jamaican international player. I meant players being born and capped by Jamaica. Allan Cole remained the Jamaica's youngest senior football international when he made his debut at the age of only 15 years old. He was sometimes known as Jamaica's greatest players.
-- Robbie Earle was the last player selected. He had a good career with Wimbledon.  For Jamaica, he was a part of their 1998 World Cup team.  He would bring experiences from playing in England to the team.
-- Right-winger Leon Bailey is an emerging player as of 2023. He was already named to the Bundesliga Team of the Season (2017–2-2018).   So he had done more things than most Jamaican players.  Right midfielder Andy Williams was mentioned frequently as being an all-timer for Jamaica. 
-- Ricardo Gardner was also a left wing.  So I only needed to select a single wide player on the left. Luton Shelton who was a striker/left wing forward is Jamaica's all-time leading scorer.  His name was mentioned frequently as one of their greatest footballers.
Luke Shelton
Forwards
-- First, I went for several older players who were pioneer of the game. Gil Heron was the first Jamaican to play in Scotland.  He was born in Jamaica but spent some time in Canada.   Lindy Delapenha was considered the greatest Jamaican player ever.  Both never played for Jamaica as the island was still a British colony when they were active.  They were historical players.
-- I also discovered a player named Jack Leslie who was a striker.  He was the first Jamaican or British Jamaican to play in the English league.  He was called up to play for England in 1925, but the invitation was later withdrawn. It has been speculated that the selection committee discovered that he was a Black player and objected his selection because of his race.  He would have been the first Black player to represent England.  However, I could not clear his eligibility for this team.  He was born in England but was officially uncapped by them. So, I only out him on the British Jamaican team.
-- Dean Burton was the hero of the 1998 World Cup Qualifiers. He deserved a spot on the team.  His decision to represent Jamaica changed the game in the country.  Onandi Lowe scored more goals for Jamaica than Burton, but Burton as mentioned was very important to the history of Reggae Boyz.  Lowe's club career also did not match that of Burton who spent a few seasons in the Premiership.  So Lowe did not get into my Jamaican/Jamaican diaspora team, but he easily made this team alongside Luton Shelton (see above).
Onandi Lowe
-- Paul Young was at one point Jamaica's All-Time leading scorer.  He was a big part of Jamaica's qualifying campaign, but Rene Simoes left him out of the World Cup Finals after Jamaica started to naturalized British-born players.  
-- Aldrick 'Allie' McNab represented Jamaica in both track & field and football in 1960's.  For 100m dash, he could run under 10 seconds, and was a top Jamaican sprinter of his time. He was also inducted in the Caribbean Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.  But I only knew that he was an attacker in football.  I did not know how good of a footballer.
-- Jason Euell played Wimbledon, Charlton, Middlesbrough and Blackpool.  Michail Antonio only earned his first caps in 2021.  He needed more time with the Reggie Boyz, but he already played 9 seasons with West Ham.  He scored over 70 goals in the Premiership.  Walter Boyd was a popular player, but I did not have enough space for them.

Formation