Nobody could accuse Omari Hutchinson of rushing the decision of where to focus his international ambitions.
Over the past 12 months or so, there have been meetings at various intervals with Jamaica asking him to fully commit to them, while people close to the England Under-21s camp have been trying to persuade him to return to the England fold. One of those was former Jamaica international Michael Johnson, who is now part of the England Under-21s staff.
Hutchinson earned his first official senior caps with Jamaica in two friendlies against Trinidad & Tobago last year, however, he had previously represented England at under-17 and under-19 level.
His fine form on loan at Ipswich Town during the 2023-24 season, when he scored 10 Championship goals and made six assists to help them earn promotion to the Premier League, intensified the battle for his services.
It has not been an easy choice. Hutchinson genuinely enjoyed playing for Jamaica. On a family holiday there over the summer, locals made clear how appreciated he would be if he played for their national side, and there is a much greater chance of being picked for Jamaica than England due to the vast difference in talent pools.
Hutchinson comes on for Chelsea against Manchester City in 2023 (Darren Walsh/Getty Images)
But Hutchinson, who became Ipswich’s record signing when he joined permanently from Chelsea for £20million ($26m), plus £2.5m in add-ons, in June, has chosen England because they have a genuine chance of competing for major silverware. The huge investment in the game means England’s facilities are of the highest level and the environment offers a great opportunity to improve.
Hutchinson, 20, is fully aware of how many good players England have to choose from in the attacking midfield positions but wants to give it a shot. He is not afraid of setting himself big targets. As he told The Athletic last year, one of his aims is to win the Champions League.
Hutchinson only made up his mind on the issue over the summer. In March, he turned down call-ups from both associations because he wanted to concentrate on helping Ipswich win promotion from the Championship.
On being appointed as Jamaica’s new head coach in late July, Steve McClaren reached out to Hutchinson to try to convince him, but to no avail. McClaren made it clear he respected the decision.
It helps that Hutchinson already knows many of the England Under-21s players. He was called up for the first time last month and travelled to the camp despite having a minor injury that meant he had to withdraw after a few days.
But the trip reassured Hutchinson he was making the right choice. It gave him the chance to see some familiar faces and have a positive conversation with interim head coach Ben Futcher.
The latter was given the role after Lee Carsley was named interim head coach of the senior team in August. Carsley, who has a great chance of securing the main job more permanently, rates Hutchinson highly.
There are no guarantees over what happens next, but the fact England have made such a concerted effort is a compliment to Hutchinson’s abilities in itself.
(Top photo: Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Publish date : 2024-10-04 08:11:00
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