The inexhaustible Deon Burton, the English-born Jamaican footballer who led Jamaica's qualification to the 1998 World Cup, has been recalled for the Reggae Boyz friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on March 26 at the National Stadium.
Burton, who was last called up during the ill-fated England tour in the summer of 2006 and last played in Jamaica in October 2004 against El Salvador, is one of 13 overseas-based players selected.
Rounding out the list of internationally based invited players are Luton Shelton, Omar Daley, Ian Goodison, Demar Stewart, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, O'neil Thompson, Khari Stephenson, Tyrone Marshall, Marlon King, Ricardo Gardner, Donovan Ricketts and Demar Phillips.
A recall for the 31-year-old Burton seemed unlikely, having largely been ignored by previous head coaches, but technical director René Simoes, who Burton played under during the successful World Cup campaign, has given the Sheffield Wednesday striker another chance.
The match will be used by both teams as part of their preparations for the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign which begins in June.
The encounter will be the first meeting between the teams in three years with Jamaica coming away 2-1 winners in a Digicel Cup encounter in February 2005.
Trinidad are also expected to field a full-strength team led by English-based talisman Kenwyne Jones of Sunderland and Stern John of Southampton.
Tickets for the game will go on sale from Saturday, March 22. The prices are as follows; grandstand $3,000 and $2,500 and bleachers $1,000.
The ticket outlets are Juici Patties, Clarendon; Hi-Lo Spanish Town, Cross Roads, Liguanea, Mandeville, Port Maria; World of Sports, Savanna-la-Mar, Negril; Petcom Portmore, Western Sports Twin Gates, Liguanea, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios; Rori King petrol station, Lloyds Pharmacy, Morant Bay; York Pharmacy and New Kingston Golf Academy.
I NEVER fail, i'm just SUCCESSFUL in finding out what doesn't work Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.
bwoy it still astonish me how little jamaicans know about football. but anyway, to me it seems like rene simoes is just going for experience in this friendly game and wanting to see if he can still use some of the veterans when world cup qualifications come around. let's just see how the match goes.
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