Shrewsbury Town signing explains pride of international football experience

Arkell Jude-Boyd arrives at Shrewsbury Town with international pedigree to his name.

Few players have arrived in Shropshire with international caps already under their belt, but Jude-Boyd is among that group, having earned six appearances for Saint Lucia.

He was named in Saint Lucia’s squad for the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League and made his debut against Curaçao, scoring the opening goal in a 2-1 victory.

“My grandad is Saint Lucian,” the London-born wide defender explained.

“I think the biggest experience was scoring against Curaçao, because they're in the World Cup now.

“We brought a good team over. We managed to beat them.

“That was big because I had everyone watching that game. That was early on in me choosing to play for St Lucia.”

Max Mata is another recent Shrewsbury signing who has represented his country, having played for New Zealand at both youth and senior level.

Unfortunately for Mata, his time in Shropshire never really got going. He spent time on loan at Auckland in his homeland before reporting for pre-season training ahead of last season.

However, he was then ruled out for a lengthy spell after pulling his hamstring and later came to an agreement to terminate his contract with Salop in September last year.

Meanwhile, defender Luca Hoole, who has just signed a new two-year deal to remain at Shrewsbury, has represented Wales at youth level.

Salop’s new defensive arrival was also included in Saint Lucia’s 23-man squad for the 2023/24 CONCACAF Nations League in November 2023, but was unable to feature due to documentation issues.

The 23-year-old made his international debut against Curaçao in September 2024 at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium in Grenada, during the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League campaign.

Speaking on his decision to represent Saint Lucia, Jude-Boyd added: “My dad was heavily involved in it. From youth I was at England, under-15s to 17, on standby.

“I just always wanted to feel what being international was like. Travelling the world and doing it through football. So it was an easy decision.”

The Eastern Caribbean island of Saint Lucia is known for its mountainous landscapes and iconic twin volcanic peaks, the Pitons.

“It's the best place in the world,” said Jude-Boyd. “It's tropical, sunny and everyone's so friendly.

“I would say St Lucia is up there with the most friendly islands. And beautiful.”

Jude-Boyd arrives at the Croud Meadow after two years at League Two rivals Cheltenham Town, where he made 83 appearances in all competitions and scored four goals.