FootyChatter.com

EPL Mason Greenwood in action for Marseille against Newcaslte this week Christophe Simon/AFP via Getty Images Mason Greenwood was back in the British consciousness this week when making his fifth Champions League appearance of the season for Marseille, this time against Newcastle United. He created four chances in an excellent performance that had Glenn Hoddle purring in the commentary booth. “Greenwood has been outstanding, some of the passes…” the former England manager said on TNT Sports. “He’s looking dangerous every time he’s on the ball. ” Advertisement Combined with Greenwood leading Ligue 1’s scoring charts, with 10 goals from 12 games, it was a display that invites the question of whether he will be on the global stage at next summer’s World Cup. Greenwood has made one appearance for England’s senior team, in a Nations League game against Iceland in September 2020, but then-manager Gareth Southgate sent him home for breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules, as he and team-mate Phil Foden met up with two women at the team hotel. Greenwood has not worn the England shirt since. After gaining his Jamaican passport in August, Greenwood could represent the nation of his grandparents in the intercontinental play-offs in March, which will determine the final spots for the tournament in the U. S. , Mexico and Canada. Jamaica have a plausible path to the World Cup, first facing New Caledonia, a team of part-timers, and then, if victorious, DR Congo, who are 56th in FIFA’s rankings, only 14 places higher than Jamaica. “I would think so, ” was the response of Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts when asked by The Athletic whether he hopes Greenwood will pull on the Reggae Boyz shirt at that crucial juncture. “Because, at the onset, he seemed to have been excited at getting his documentation sorted out. ” Ricketts was speaking after Jamaica’s 0-0 draw with Curacao in Kingston, a result that sent Curacao to the World Cup and, coupled with issues behind the scenes, compelled Steve Mc Claren to resign as head coach. GO DEEPER Inside Steve Mc Claren's Jamaica reign: World Cup failure, paying for staff flights and a hostile end But Ricketts acknowledged a complicated picture, with Greenwood not accepting a call-up in September for the start of the final phase of qualifying, even though he had by then received his Jamaican passport. “When we sent it to him and I asked him, he said it is a family decision for him not to make himself available right now, ” Ricketts said. Advertisement Mc Claren himself got similar word from Greenwood’s father, Andrew, who is a key figure in his son’s career. Mc Claren messaged Greenwood Sr to inform the family of his plan to name the 24-year-old in his squad for the qualifiers against Trinidad and Tobago and Bermuda, only for the reply to imply Greenwood would be keeping his options open. “We acquired a passport and we expected him to be coming to this camp, ” said Mc Claren at the subsequent squad announcement. “But on a conversation with his family, he’s not going to commit at this time to anybody, so he’s taking his time over that. It’s a little bit disappointing. We probably have to be more patient. ” Another factor discussed in Kingston is how receiving a Jamaican passport means Greenwood no longer counts as an overseas player for Marseille. Ligue 1 clubs can have a maximum of four players who come from either outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area, or countries with an EU cooperation agreement. Jamaica, as a former British colony, has legislation to that end with France (as well as other EU countries), whereas British players are classed as overseas after Brexit. In Jamaica, they are also conscious of the appeal that England might still hold for Greenwood. In recent weeks, the former Manchester United forward has privately indicated a temptation to hold out in case Thomas Tuchel gives him a call. Greenwood has felt he could add to his solitary senior cap for the country of his birth, given his record this campaign. That seems highly fanciful, though, given the English Football Association (FA) maintains Greenwood is not in contention. “I have not spoken to him or his camp, ” Tuchel told the media in September. “My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn’t give it another thought. He was not in the mix at the moment and he is not in our thoughts for our team. ” Advertisement Greenwood’s history with the UK criminal justice system is why a recall with England is such a difficult issue. In January 2022, Greenwood was arrested on suspicion of rape and assault after harrowing images and audio footage emerged online. He was subsequently charged in October of that year with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and controlling and coercive behaviour. The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service discontinued its case against him in February 2023, stating that the withdrawal of key witnesses and new material coming to light meant there was “no longer a realistic prospect of conviction”. Greenwood always denied the allegations, releasing a statement that said: “I did not do the things I was accused of. ” Greenwood, for all his talent, is a problem England can do without, though. Figures at the FA can anticipate the backlash bringing him into camp would spark — the same wave of public anger that met Manchester United’s attempts to reintegrate him into their squad under Erik ten Hag. But people at the top of the JFF hold no such concerns. In their minds, Greenwood was cleared by the courts and should be free to continue his career. The only step left for him is to request that the FA transfer his allegiance to the JFF. For more than one player in the squad, Greenwood’s arrival would be contentious given the nature of the allegations. But even on a football level, there is resistance. To some, he would be arriving for the good times, having missed the tougher moments. Isaac Hayden, the former Newcastle United midfielder who is now at Queens Park Rangers, tells The Athletic: “I’ve only played for Jamaica for a year, and there was some resistance to me when I started, but I have played 12 games and everyone can see my passion and the way I play the game. I give everything on the pitch, and I wanted to be there to help Jamaica progress to the World Cup. ” Advertisement Hayden has spoken to officials at the JFF. “They are obsessed with names and trying to recruit more players. They want to have the best team on the pitch, but I said it to the JFF: ‘If a player is not willing to commit for the last round of qualifying, unless they’re injured, I do not see why they should be joining the group in March or at the end of the season if we qualify’. There is no way that should be allowed to happen. “I’ve had discussions with the lads who have played for Jamaica for years. Some might end up playing eight games to qualify for the World Cup but get left out for players who come in when the job is done. I don’t think it would sit well with me or any of the other players. It’s not something I would want to be a part of. ” On Greenwood, Hayden adds: “The quality of the player, his numbers, what he is producing, is of the highest level, but it comes down to principle and integrity. If players can just rock up because of a World Cup, it would make the whole thing a farce. That would say a lot about the player, and the organisation for allowing that to happen. “My recommendation to the JFF was that any new player who wants to come in beyond the recent September window can do so for 2026 (after the World Cup play-offs and possible World Cup campaign), when it is a whole new cycle. ” Amari’i Bell has accumulated 29 Jamaica caps since his first call-up in 2021, and reflects a concern among the squad. “Many of us for years have put our blood, sweat and tears into playing for the nation, with a lot of things happening in the background, ” he says. “We’ve had to deal with all that. It wouldn’t seem fair to people who have been through that whole process and will never get another chance to play at a World Cup. It’s a bit controversial. ” Bell, who won promotion to the Premier League with Luton Town in 2023 and is now at Charlton Athletic, believes a group conversation would be needed before adding Greenwood — or any new player, with Everton’s Dwight Mc Neil also in the reckoning — to the setup. He said: “Definitely, especially when it’s a World Cup. You want good vibes and good energy around the squad. You wouldn’t want any distance between any players. ” Advertisement Bell’s stance, from within the camp, is reflected among the fanbase and those who cover Jamaica. Kathya Davis, of Love 101 FM, says: “Most of us are convinced England is not going to call him up again, so we’re not sure why he has not come to play for Jamaica, after all the steps we have taken to bring him here. I prefer this team lose badly than bring somebody who wasn’t here to struggle to get to the World Cup. ” Donald Oliver, journalist for the Jamaica Observer, says: “Jamaicans are full of pride. The narrative is, ‘If you’re not with us during the journey, do not come when we are at the destination’. That may change. ” David Williams, who runs You Tube channel Ball Pree TV, offers a counter view: “I’m about quality players, and once you can add quality players to the group, I’m all for it. ” Daniel Blake, also of the Jamaica Observer, adds another perspective. “To know that he’s still harbouring that England dream, I’ve heard that some people from the federation aren’t too happy with that. They have been doing everything they can to get him here. It’s tough. Great player, but I don’t think it’s something that will be accepted 100 per cent. ” This is all before Greenwood’s past with the police is considered. “It will be a part of the discourse, ” says Oliver. “Those who support Mason Greenwood would have wanted it to be a part of the discourse a long time ago because at this stage, we would have moved on from it somewhat. It is going to be a cacophony of noise. If Jamaica qualify and he joins the World Cup squad and then that noise happens, that helps nobody. But the discussion is going to be had, definitely. It’s just a matter of when. ” Blake adds: “I’ve spoken to a lot of sources, both at the administrative level and players. Some are OK with it because there’s the school of thought that the law says he’s innocent. But those images are out there. It’s hard to ignore. Advertisement “But many of the fans, because we haven’t been a successful football team, are willing to overlook it, which is not necessarily right. Knowing we have this potentially world-class talent, trying to make us competitive again, something that we haven’t been since 1998, is making people go, ‘We should give him a chance’. There will be a lot of backlash towards it, too. ” Davis, one of the only women covering Jamaica, adds: “I don’t think his personal life would have played a part for us. As Jamaicans, we’ve forgiven that side of it. We give people a chance. We’re very open to giving people chances. But the chance we gave you was to come and help us qualify for the World Cup. And you turned your back on us. ” Jamaica’s courting of Greenwood pre-dates Mc Claren. It goes back to August 2023, when Greenwood began his citizenship application at Jamaica’s embassy in London. That was the month when it was confirmed that Greenwood’s future would be away from United, despite initial plans by club executives to bring him back. His loan move to Getafe was sealed on transfer deadline day. That October, Jamaica’s interest in recruiting Greenwood emerged, and then-manager Heimir Hallgrimsson publicly backed the idea. “If he gets to his former level, that level could help Jamaica, ” Hallgrimsson told reporters when asked about Greenwood. “Of course, he will come with some baggage. I want the best players with the best abilities playing for my team. ” Hallgrimsson gave a similar answer at a CONCACAF Nations League preview event in March 2024. “I would love to have him in my team, ” he said. But four months later, when unveiled as the Republic of Ireland boss, Hallgrimsson pulled back the curtain on the realities of national management and this particular, emotive issue. Hallgrimsson said the “context” is important, saying at his first press conference that he wanted to make it clear he had not been defending Greenwood. “The question to me was after the president of the Jamaica Federation and the general secretary welcomed him to play for Jamaica, ” he told a press conference, “so obviously, the coach got the question, political answer was, ‘All coaches would want the best players available’. So maybe trying to duck the question, because whatever you say, there will always be people supporting and against. ” Advertisement Mc Claren had always seemed willing to follow through by selecting Greenwood. At his unveiling press conference 15 months ago, Mc Claren said: “I met Mason in the Manchester United training ground about three weeks ago, before the announcement was made, so I had to be very careful what to say to him. But we had a little conversation. What I want to do, like with everybody, is to go meet them and find out the reality of the situation and whether they actually want to come all the way here to play for Jamaica. ” Soon after that meeting, Mc Claren gave up his Manchester United role under Ten Hag to join Jamaica, and Greenwood moved to Marseille in a deal worth £26. 6million ($31. 6m). Mc Claren had a face-to-face talk with Greenwood in France and, that August, registration paperwork was handed over by the FA to the JFF, as per a request, so that a formal application for the switch could be put to FIFA, world football’s governing body. But by November, there was still no word, leading Jamaica general manager Roy Simpson (now acting general secretary) to give details on the process in an interview with CVM News. “All of Mason’s documentation that we asked him to submit, he has submitted, ” Simpson told the broadcaster. “The issue is there is a particular document that his mum has to sign, because the citizenship is being done through her lineage, that’s just what needs to be done. “The document (relates to) her father, which is Mason’s grandfather. When we did the research, it came up that his birth certificate did not have a surname on it. So the process we have to do is called a late-entry name. The mum has to sign that because she is the daughter of the deceased. ” He added, “Each time we reach out, she is very cordial and responsive but we just don’t know what is taking so long. ” That document has since been signed and received by the JFF. Advertisement Both of Greenwood’s maternal grandparents were from Jamaica, and left for England in the Windrush era. At the time of those discussions, a year ago, the JFF was confident England would not provide an alternative route for Greenwood. “I think we can rubbish that, ” said Simpson. “His father and Mason have indicated to us, in writing, that the situation is what it is, in terms of getting the documentation sorted out, and they are committed to come and play for Jamaica. ” But the exasperation among fans was palpable when Mc Claren announced his squad for September’s internationals, the start of the final stage of World Cup qualifying. Greenwood’s Jamaican passport, gained two years after initiating the process, was sent to his family address in England. As a contrast, Brentford’s Rico Henry got his passport within a day by flying to Jamaica before making his debut away to Trinidad and Tobago this November. Two months ago, at a pre-match press conference, Mc Claren added on Greenwood: “We will keep the contact, we will keep pursuing him, because I know from my conversations with Mason, and his family, that he loves Jamaica, he respects Jamaica, he wants to concentrate on club football and not commit to an international team at the present moment. We have to respect that, however much we’ve worked hard to get him here for these camps. So who knows in the future? ” One aspect at play was Marseille’s involvement in the Champions League, and their desire to keep Greenwood from flying the 10, 000-mile round trip to Kingston. Greenwood started away at Real Madrid, the week after Jamaica kicked off the final leg of their qualifying campaign. Jamaica internationals had to pay for their own upgrades to business class for the flights to the Caribbean for the last three camps. Mc Claren has since been replaced, on an interim basis at least, by Rudolph Speid, chairman of the technical committee responsible for hiring the head coach. Speid’s experience is exclusively in Jamaica, leading Cavalier FC to three titles. He will be in charge for the play-offs in March, which could secure passage to a World Cup that will draw the eyes of the globe. For all the turbulence in Jamaican football, the allure of playing at that tournament could be significant for Greenwood, and, if so, with the England door seemingly closed, there is only one route for him to take. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle Laurie Whitwell worked for the Daily Mail from 2010, covering midlands football for the last five years, including Leicester’s remarkable Premier League triumph. Whitwell was nominated for sports scoop of the year at the 2019 SJAs for breaking Wayne Rooney’s move to DC United. He will be reporting on Manchester United for The Athletic. Follow Laurie on Twitter @lauriewhitwell