Veteran defender Ian Goodison has been dropped from the Jamaica Reggae Boyz squad, ahead of next month's World Cup after failing to attend a pre-tournament camp currently under way in Brazil.

Goodison was expected to leave the island with teammates Jason Morrison, Dwayne Miller, Rudolph Austin and Dane Richards on Thursday but failed to show up at the airport. The veteran 38-year-old defender was a surprise selection for the squad after not representing Jamaica since the 2009 qualifiers but was expected to provide experience for the team, that has targeted a top-four finish as a priority.

Goodison failing to turn up for the camp has left national coach Theodore Whitmore fuming as he expressed his disappointment via a press release yesterday.

"The days of players doing as they please with the national programme are over," said Whitmore.

"This is the case no matter who the player is, regardless of his experience or standing, no one is bigger than the team. The door is never closed to any national player but this is a lost opportunity for Mr Goodison."

disruptive force

The run in is not the first the coach has had with senior players ahead of or during this particular tournament. In 2009, another defender Damion Stewart was sent home during the tournament after he was branded as being a disruptive force. Stewart has not featured for the squad since.

Goodison has been a standout for several seasons at English League One club Tranmere Rovers, where he has been named player of the season on several occasions. The hard-nosed defender was a key part of the 1998 squad that created history for Jamaica at the the World Cup in France, along with Whitmore.

However, taking part in the two subsequent qualifiers Goodison was dropped from the squad until being recalled by Whitmore for the latter stages of the 2009 programme.

"We have moved on with the preparation as both the technical staff and the players are determined to do well at this tournament."