The winger reflects on his first year since switching nationalities: "One thing that stands out is the progress and the development that’s continuously happening"
Demarai Gray celebrating one year with the Reggae Boyz (Photo: JFF)
A year has passed since Demarai Gray switched nationality to represent Jamaica. After excelling at Birmingham City, Gray’s journey saw him move to Leicester City, where he won the Premier League, followed by stints at Bayer Leverkusen and Everton. Despite representing England at various youth levels, the senior call-up never materialized, and Gray opted to honor his Jamaican heritage, officially joining the Reggae Boyz one year ago.
As Jamaica prepares to face Honduras in the CONCACAF Nations League, The 28-year-old reflected on his time with the national team during a pre-match press conference, sharing insights into his experiences over the past year.
Demarai Gray, "happy to be a part of this group" (Photo: Jff)
“It’s gone quickly, very quickly since I joined the national team,” the Al-Ettifaq winger said. “I’ve enjoyed it very much, had some good moments. One thing that stands out is the progress and the development that’s continuously happening, and there has been positive, and I’m happy to be a part of this group. I’m looking forward towards the future now.”
With the arrival of new head coach Steve McClaren, who succeeded Heimir Hallgrímsson, Gray has had to adapt to the changes. “We don’t select our coach, so we have to adapt to whatever coach we have and the environment that’s created,” Gray explained. “But since coach [McClaren] has come in, one of the main things is having a positive relationship with the coach and all the staff. I think the coach has adapted very well.”
“Once you build a good core and foundation, where the coach wants us to play and the style he wants to implement, I feel quite free when we’re playing”, the winger resonated.
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