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Ricketts out of Nigeria friendly due to injury
Sean Williams
Thursday, February 05, 2009
First-choice goalkeeper, Donovan Ricketts, will miss the Reggae Boyz' friendly international game against Nigeria's Super Eagles at the New Den Stadium in London next Wednesday after aggravating an old finger injury in a pre-season training session Tuesday with his new club, the LA Galaxy.
RICKETTS... replaced by Harbour View's Dwayne Miller
Ricketts, 31, will be replaced by Harbour View FC's number one goalkeeper, Dwayne Miller, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) confirmed yesterday.
Miller, 21, who is having a fine season in the Digicel Premier League (DPL) with the east Kingston-based club, has held the number one position for Jamaica's Under-23s and has figured occasionally for the senior team.
Harbour View general manager, Clyde Jureidini, said Miller's call-up in this crisis situation came as no surprise to him.
"Clearly he has been the most outstanding goalkeeper this season in the Premier League and Harbour View, having the least goals conceded so far, speaks to his performance," he said.
Jamaica's original 20-man squad for the Nigeria game has been slashed to 19 players after newcomer, English-born Darren Pratley, fractured his shoulder in an English Championship game for his club, Swansea City, against Preston North End recently.
Ricketts, who has 67 caps for the national team and who appeared in all of his country's games during qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, originally injured the finger in a DPL game for local club, Village United, late last year.
A native of Montego Bay, Ricketts began his career in Jamaica and later played in 115 games for English League Two side, Bradford City, before returning to Village United in Jamaica last summer after he failed to secure a work permit from the British Home Office to continue his career in the UK.
Meanwhile Pratley, 23-year-old midfielder, who along with defender Tyrone Mears of French side Olympique Marseille, lasted just 10 minutes in the game where he sustained his injury which is expected "to keep him out for six to eight weeks".
Born in Barking, England, Pratley was sold by Fulham to Swansea for £100,000 in June 2006 and is the club's captain. Pratley's father's parents are Jamaican-born.
Other members of the 20-man squad released yesterday are goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers; defenders Ricardo Gardner (captain), Ian Goodison, Claude Davis, Damion Stewart, Tyrone Marshall, Eric Vernan; midfielders Rudolph Austin, Jason Morrison, Jermaine Johnson, Demar Phillips, Omar Daley, Jamal Campbell-Ryce; forwards Marlon King, Dane Richards, Ricardo Fuller and Luton Shelton.
Sean Williams
Thursday, February 05, 2009
First-choice goalkeeper, Donovan Ricketts, will miss the Reggae Boyz' friendly international game against Nigeria's Super Eagles at the New Den Stadium in London next Wednesday after aggravating an old finger injury in a pre-season training session Tuesday with his new club, the LA Galaxy.
RICKETTS... replaced by Harbour View's Dwayne MillerRicketts, 31, will be replaced by Harbour View FC's number one goalkeeper, Dwayne Miller, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) confirmed yesterday.
Miller, 21, who is having a fine season in the Digicel Premier League (DPL) with the east Kingston-based club, has held the number one position for Jamaica's Under-23s and has figured occasionally for the senior team.
Harbour View general manager, Clyde Jureidini, said Miller's call-up in this crisis situation came as no surprise to him.
"Clearly he has been the most outstanding goalkeeper this season in the Premier League and Harbour View, having the least goals conceded so far, speaks to his performance," he said.
Jamaica's original 20-man squad for the Nigeria game has been slashed to 19 players after newcomer, English-born Darren Pratley, fractured his shoulder in an English Championship game for his club, Swansea City, against Preston North End recently.
Ricketts, who has 67 caps for the national team and who appeared in all of his country's games during qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, originally injured the finger in a DPL game for local club, Village United, late last year.
A native of Montego Bay, Ricketts began his career in Jamaica and later played in 115 games for English League Two side, Bradford City, before returning to Village United in Jamaica last summer after he failed to secure a work permit from the British Home Office to continue his career in the UK.
Meanwhile Pratley, 23-year-old midfielder, who along with defender Tyrone Mears of French side Olympique Marseille, lasted just 10 minutes in the game where he sustained his injury which is expected "to keep him out for six to eight weeks".
Born in Barking, England, Pratley was sold by Fulham to Swansea for £100,000 in June 2006 and is the club's captain. Pratley's father's parents are Jamaican-born.
Other members of the 20-man squad released yesterday are goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers; defenders Ricardo Gardner (captain), Ian Goodison, Claude Davis, Damion Stewart, Tyrone Marshall, Eric Vernan; midfielders Rudolph Austin, Jason Morrison, Jermaine Johnson, Demar Phillips, Omar Daley, Jamal Campbell-Ryce; forwards Marlon King, Dane Richards, Ricardo Fuller and Luton Shelton.