Kyle Lightbourne can relate to Nahki Wells’s decision to rule himself out of Bermuda’s Caribbean Cup preliminary-round qualifying matches — he did the same while playing for Stoke City and Walsall.

Wells opted out of Bermuda’s matches against Cuba and French Guiana because he felt he needed rest after a long season with Huddersfield Town in the Sky Bet Championship.

Rai Simons, as striker for League One side Chesterfield, also made himself unavailable for the matches.

Lightbourne, a former Bermuda head coach, was coach Andrew Bascome’s assistant for the two games, as Bermuda lost 2-1 against Cuba in Havana last Tuesday before beating French Guiana 2-1 at the National Stadium last weekend.

“I obviously see both sides of it,” Lightbourne said. “I spoke with coach Bascome and Maurice Lowe [the BFA technical development director] about that and we have to look at it from a club’s standpoint as well as the player and the country.

“There are actually three sides to it, but if you were to ask Nahki Wells if he wants to play for Bermuda, I’m pretty sure his answer is yes.

“From my standpoint, when I was in England, what the club wants is consistency, they don’t want their players to be in one tournament and then another tournament six months later.

“They want it to be on a consistent basis so they can make contingency plans for that. I can understand that Nahki would be getting pressure from both sides.”

Although Simons is trying to establish himself during his first season at Chesterfield, Wells has been one of Huddersfield’s key players this season, leading their scoring with 16 goals in all competitions.

“My body needs the rest when I have a break, and I thought pulling out of the games was the best thing to do for myself.” Wells said prior to the matches.

Lightbourne added: “This time it was during an international window and his team wasn’t playing.

“There was a window for him to play for Bermuda, so I can understand why Bermuda fans would be disappointed.

“Although people will say country comes first, it’s hard when you have a game in June and then don’t play again until March.

“It happened to me when I was at Stoke and my contract was up at the end of the season. I think it was a friendly [the Bermuda Football Association] wanted me to come back for.

“I think it also happened when I was at Walsall, a game I didn’t come back for, but I think that was because the BFA asked for the release too late.

“[Playing for your country] is something I have always taken very seriously because this is where it starts for everybody, at home.”

Lightbourne believes regular games is the key to improving the national programme, but admits it is becoming increasingly difficult to assemble the best players as so many are playing overseas professionally or semi-professionally.

“We need to be playing on a regular basis,” said Lightbourne, who coaches Robin Hood in the Premier Division.

“Every time there is an international break we need to be filling those slots, so that it becomes consistent.

“I know it takes a lot of money to put on an international, and a lot of those games will be international friendlies.

“We have to make it clear to all the overseas players, not just Nahki, about where we stand and what we’re looking to do to go forward.

“That’s the most important thing in order to get the players together on a regular basis.

“We want players to play for Bermuda, show pride and fight for the cause. We definitely got that during the last two games.”