William White has expressed his “deep disappointment” at being left out of Bermuda’s 23-man squad for the Gold Cup this month.

White, who has made five appearances for his country, was arguably the surprise omission from the final cut, having been included in Bermuda’s squad for each of their four Concacaf Nations League qualifying matches.

It appears White’s shaky first half against São Miguel Azores in Bermuda’s penultimate warm-up game at the National Stadium last weekend cost the 24-year-old, with coach Kyle Lightbourne opting for Jalen Harvey as cover in central defence.

Another factor in Lightbourne’s decision to select Harvey will have been his extra versatility as a left back.

“Firstly, I just want to say congratulations to the final 23-man squad that will represent Bermuda in the Gold Cup,” White, 24, wrote on social media.

“Unfortunately, I was not selected in the final 23 and obviously, I am deeply disappointed. Football is ultimately a game of opinions and my non-selection was for the betterment of my nation.

“Having said that, I wish the boys and the coaching staff the very best of luck in the tournament. It was both an honour and privilege to wear that jersey and be a part of the first Bermuda team to qualify for the Gold Cup!”

Daren Usher, of PHC Zebras, who featured regularly for Bermuda at left back during the Nations League qualifiers was also omitted from the squad, which was announced by the Bermuda Football Association Friday.

Bermuda qualified for the Gold Cup for the first time after finishing fifth in the Nations League qualifiers with three wins and one loss from their four matches.

They will face Haiti in their opening Gold Cup Group B match at the Estadio Nacional in San José, Costa Rica, on June 16, before taking on Costa Rica at the Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on June 20 and Nicaragua at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, on June 24.

The Gold Cup features 16 teams divided into four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarter-finals.

Bermuda will face Guyana in their final warm-up match at the National Stadium on Thursday. Guyana will also be making their first appearance at the Gold Cup.

The previous meeting between the two teams finished 1-1 in a World Cup qualifier in 2011.