LEVERKUSEN, Germany — As far as Leon Bailey is concerned, he has been representing Jamaica on the international stage since he was 12 years old.

He may never have played for his country, not competitively. He may stand accused of lacking patriotic pride because he cannot guarantee that he will ever do so.

But as he outlines his long, remarkable journey from Kingston, all the way to Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga and the cusp of stardom, he makes it perfectly clear that — in his eyes, at least — who you are is not just where you are from. Wearing a jersey is not the only way to fly a flag.

Over the last two years, first with Belgium’s K.R.C. Genk and now with Leverkusen, the 20-year-old Bailey has emerged as one of the most dazzling prospects in European soccer, a wing of blistering speed and rare talent.