Latest News
Henry ready for international football after injuries
November 14, 2025
Brentford FC defender Rico Henry said he is ready to commit his international future with the Reggae Boyz following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury which hampered his career over the past two years.
Henry received his first call-up to the national programme ahead of the final Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.
Speaking in an interview with Brentford FC, Henry said representing Jamaica is a good feeling and he hopes to do his family proud.
The defender is eligible to don the black, green and gold through his grandfather, who was born in St Ann.
"It's good to play international football. It will be good to represent [Jamaica]. My mum called me. She'd been speaking to the manager and I was like, 'Yeah, that's crazy'," he said.
Henry said he was confident in his decision following conversations with Ethan Pinnock, who also plays for Brentford FC, and Brentford ambassador and former Reggae Boy Marcus Gayle.
"Ethan Pinnock is there already, you know; he said it's a good challenge.
"I went to the Jamaica and Nigeria game. [Marcus Gayle] did mention it and said it would be good to put on the jersey," Henry continued.
"He said it would be good to represent the country. He said it was a good experience and it'd be good to experience that - to see my name on the squad list."
SOMETHING TO PROVE
Henry also feels he has something to prove following his return to form after being sidelined through injury for over a year.
The defender suffered an ACL injury in September 2023 during a Premier League match against Newcastle United.
With it being his second ACL injury throughout his career, following a previous injury in 2017, Henry is ready to show his quality.
"I felt something crack in my knee, because I knew it was my meniscus, which it was, as well. So, I literally felt it crack, but I didn't know it was my ACL as well," he said.
"When you're coming back, you don't feel the same at the start. You wonder if you're gonna come back the same, with the same sharpness on the pitch, same speed. Because I've been there before with my right knee, I knew I could come back."
His perseverance has also earned the praises of head coach Steven McClaren.
McClaren said Henry can add more Premier League experience to the squad, and hails the player's mentality for his recovery.
"Rico is a very good player, a Premier League player," McClaren said.
"He's had bad injuries, but he's come back, and he's fought back. It shows the mentality of the boy, and he plays like that - with that kind of mentality."
