With his team’s Digicel Cup hopes hanging in the balance miles away in the Caribbean, Bermuda national football team captain Kentoine Jennings yesterday announced his retirement from international football.

“I just don’t think I have it in me anymore. The legs are not as light as they used to be, and because of various other commitments, I no longer have the time to get myself in proper condition,” Jennings told The Royal Gazette.

The North Village stalwart broke through to the senior national ranks at age 16 and went on to play under five different coaches during his 19-year involvement with the national programme.

Jennings was a member of Gary Darrell’s 1993 World Cup qualifying squad that advanced to the second round of group qualifiers — the furthest the Island has ever journeyed in the prestigious competition.

“I’ve had some good times playing international football and enjoyed playing at that level for so long because I’ve enjoyed playing against different players,” Jennings said.

“I’ve played a lot of international football and playing with the national team gave me the opportunity to play with and get to know a lot of players from other teams. You really get to know a lot about the people you play against every week and their character playing with them at the national level.”

Jennings last suited up for the national team against the Dominican Republic during the first round of the Digicel Cup held in the British Virgin Islands last September, a match in which the veteran was sent off after receiving a second yellow card.

“In order to really enjoy the good times, you must also go through the bad times,” Jennings smiled. “You have to learn how to take the good with the bad.”

The 35-year-old former pro travelled to Barbados with the national squad last November for the second round of Digicel group qualifiers, but after serving out an automatic one-game suspension “popped” a calf muscle in training and was sidelined for the remainder of the tournament.

Jennings had hoped to make one last national team appearance on the team’s current trip to Trinidad, but those plans were dashed when he pulled a hamstring playing for Village in a Premier’s Dudley Eve Trophy match against Somerset Trojans last month.

“I’ve had a long international football career, and so it really doesn’t matter to me how I leave the game,” Jennings insisted. “It’s been a very long, tiring and at times rewarding journey.”

In his absence, overseas-based striker John Barry Nusum has worn the captain’s armband, and in Jennings’ estimation has done an “outstanding” job so far.

“John is somebody everybody respects and looks up to because he’s a leader and carries himself well,” Jennings said.

“He is a people person and nobody has any issues with him. John also works extremely hard every time he goes onto the field, can play in various positions and can also lead.

“He’s always been somebody I’ve felt takes responsibility for his actions and always seems to carry himself very well. And so he’s definitely a person I would consider as a leader.

“Even I would be proud of him being my captain because he’s that type of person who I look up to, and definitely someone I would consider for the captaincy.”

But while Jennings’ international football career has come to an end, the veteran says he has yet to make any decisions about bowing out of domestic football.

“I definitely intend to play out the remainder of the season with Village,” he vowed. “But as far as playing football next season, that’s a decision I’ll have to make when this season is over.”

Kentoine quits national team