Busby hunting clubs for Girlz in Europe

As members of the Jamaican senior women's football team continue to wait to resume national duties, coach Hubert Busby Jr is scouting Europe to find clubs for some of the Girlz who are out of contracts.

The coronavirus pandemic has crippled the international football calendar since March, with the postponement of all friendlies and tournaments, including the Under-17 Concacaf Women's championship, and the qualifying tournament for the 2021 Under-17 Women's World Cup expected to be held in India.

Plans for an international friendly in Europe for April had to be shelved also. With more time on his hands, Busby Jr says that his focus now is securing moves for players overseas.

"I think right now the key, if I am going to be honest, is to get those players who are out of contract and are currently negotiating with clubs to get their deals secure," Busby Jr told STAR Sports. "I think that is something that I am really working on with the players and their agents, to find the right environment for them. I think we are close with a couple of players in the next little while. That's the key."

Getting to top leagues

Among the players who are attempting to secure deals is Reggae Girlz captain Konya Plummer who, according to Busby, is closing in on a short- term loan to Europe. Plummer is currently signed to National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Orlando Pride.

She has yet to feature for the club because of the team's withdrawal from the NWSL Challenge Cup tournament, resulting from positive COVID-19 testing. Busby believes that the current crop of players have the tools to challenge themselves in the world's top leagues.

"Our women players need to be playing in the top leagues in the world. I think their skill set warrants them to be playing in the top leagues in the world, including the likes of the NWSL," he said.

In conjunction with finalising the professional futures of players, he also has an eye towards hopefully having at least a camp for the senior women this year, but he says it would be based on guidance from FIFA as to the international windows for the rest of the year. The September international window has already been suspended for all confederations except Europe and South America.