England manager Gareth Southgate is reportedly keen on blunting bold recruitment ambitions of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), who have targeted a number of English players that qualify to play for the Caribbean nation.

According to recent reports, the JFF, through agent Devon Porter, has sought to make contact with a number of players that could qualify to represent the nation in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, by virtue of having Jamaican parents or grandparents. 

The list is said to include newly promoted Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Everton's Mason Holgate, Manchester United's Mason Greenwood, and Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who were all born to Jamaican parents.

The England manager has requested a meeting with the four players for Friday afternoon.  Southgate is expected to assure them of the possibility of playing for their birth country.  The England national football program has been guilty in the past of giving fringe players one of two caps, in order to end the pursuit of other potential nations, and never recalling those players again. 

Across England’s top four leagues there are said to be an estimated 124 players of Jamaican ancestry.  English-based Jamaican players played a crucial role in the country securing its only appearance at the FIFA World Cup in 1998.  The Jamaica team has already qualified for the final round of the CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers.