Leon Bailey's Father to Hold Talks with the FA over Possible England Call-Up

Bayer Leverkusen star Leon Bailey could be set to switch his allegiance to England, despite having played for Jamaica at youth level.

Bailey was born in Jamaican capital Kingston and made one appearance for their under-23 side, but he "will look at the options" after the Jamaican Football Federation failed to convince him to commit to them, according to The Sun's Warren Haughton.

His adoptive father Craig Butler said:

"I will be speaking to [England technical director] Dan Ashworth at the FA next week, but now it is a definite no as far as playing for Jamaica is concerned.

"That will come [going to World Cup] we will speak to them [FA], look at all the options and see what they have planned for my son.

"England has always been a great option, it has a lot of Jamaican players that were there before that have played for England."

Former Three Lions star John Barnes, who earned 79 caps for England, was also born in Kingston.

Having only played for Jamaica as a youngster, Bailey could still play senior football for another nation. Bleacher Report's Dean Jones is excited at the possibility of him representing England:

Butler said he is "concerned about the future of young footballers in Jamaica" and will not allow Bailey to play for the Reggae Boyz "unless they change and introduce a proper system of development with a transparent process of selection."

He added that Bailey "qualifies to play for England through his grandparents, my parents, who are English."

The 20-year-old forward has enjoyed an excellent campaign for Leverkusen, racking up 11 goals and five assists to fire the side to fifth in the Bundesiga and into the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal.

BT Sport Football shared a look at some of his highlights for the season:

Bailey is a thrilling talent to watch with the ball at his feet, as he uses his searing pace and skill to leave opponents in his wake.

Bundesliga expert Archie Rhind-Tutt and Scouted Football's Jake Entwistle paid tribute to his talent:

England are crying out for a player of his pace and directness on their flanks, and it would be a significant coup for the Three Lions if he is eligible to play and they can secure his international future.

Despite his lack of prior experience with the England setup, on current form he'd have a strong chance of making the World Cup squad.