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Jamaica Football Federation President, Captain Horace Burrell, has sought to clear the air regarding comments he made about Jamaican international Sean Fraser during Wednesday's press conference to announce the squad for the World Cup Qualifier against Mexico.
When quizzed during Wednes-day's press conference as to why Fraser, who currently plays for Pumas Morelos, was left out of the 23-man squad, Burrell stressed on the fact that Fraser was only playing in Mexico's second division.
"How do you think the Mexican public would view Jamaica when we have to go to their second division in Mexico to pick a player? Burrell had asked. "How do you think that will affect the psyche of the whole thing? My point is if Sean were playing in the premier league in Mexico, I believe it would have been a different ball game."
Burrell's comments about the 29-year-old midfielder, who played for Jamaica in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the U-20 team in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, and made his debut for the senior national team in 2000 against the Cayman Islands, has drawn the ire of some members of the public.
Burrell sought to explain his comments during another press conference at the same venue to announce Coca-Cola's US$1.6m six-year sponsorship of the country's football programme.
"He (Fraser) plays in the Mexican league, so the Mexican players would know about him more than anyone else," Burrell said.
"Because he does not play in the premier league down in Mexico, at this time we have players who are in other leagues in the higher levels therefore it is our considered view, in fact, the coaches and those who are responsible for selection that at this time there are others who would have been ahead of Sean and therefore they are in the team."
Some persons are of the view that the comments made by Burrell regarding the 29-year-old player suggested that there were personal feelings involved, but Burrell has dismissed this notion.
"Sean is a very fine young man, very well mannered, his temperament is good and I have nothing against Sean," Burrell pointed out. "He is a very disciplined footballer and it is absolutely nothing personal. I was just trying to put the facts on the table, and be realistic about him being left out of the team."
Burrell went on to add: "It has nothing at all to do with Sean's personality or his manners. If those were some of the criteria used he would have been in the team. But what we are saying at this time is that there are more experienced players who were considered ahead of him by the coaching staff and therefore they went for those players in preference to going for Sean; that's all."
When quizzed during Wednes-day's press conference as to why Fraser, who currently plays for Pumas Morelos, was left out of the 23-man squad, Burrell stressed on the fact that Fraser was only playing in Mexico's second division.
"How do you think the Mexican public would view Jamaica when we have to go to their second division in Mexico to pick a player? Burrell had asked. "How do you think that will affect the psyche of the whole thing? My point is if Sean were playing in the premier league in Mexico, I believe it would have been a different ball game."
Burrell's comments about the 29-year-old midfielder, who played for Jamaica in the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the U-20 team in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship, and made his debut for the senior national team in 2000 against the Cayman Islands, has drawn the ire of some members of the public.
Burrell sought to explain his comments during another press conference at the same venue to announce Coca-Cola's US$1.6m six-year sponsorship of the country's football programme.
"He (Fraser) plays in the Mexican league, so the Mexican players would know about him more than anyone else," Burrell said.
"Because he does not play in the premier league down in Mexico, at this time we have players who are in other leagues in the higher levels therefore it is our considered view, in fact, the coaches and those who are responsible for selection that at this time there are others who would have been ahead of Sean and therefore they are in the team."
Some persons are of the view that the comments made by Burrell regarding the 29-year-old player suggested that there were personal feelings involved, but Burrell has dismissed this notion.
"Sean is a very fine young man, very well mannered, his temperament is good and I have nothing against Sean," Burrell pointed out. "He is a very disciplined footballer and it is absolutely nothing personal. I was just trying to put the facts on the table, and be realistic about him being left out of the team."
Burrell went on to add: "It has nothing at all to do with Sean's personality or his manners. If those were some of the criteria used he would have been in the team. But what we are saying at this time is that there are more experienced players who were considered ahead of him by the coaching staff and therefore they went for those players in preference to going for Sean; that's all."
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