‘No other manager could stack up a CV like that’

JAMAICA FOOTBALL Federation (JFF) technical committee chairman, Rudolph Speid, says the main objective for new Reggae Boyz coach Stephen McClaren is to get the team to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

After a month without a head coach following the resignation of Heimir Hallgrimsson, the JFF announced yesterday that the former England coach will take charge of the Reggae Boyz for the next two years, and Speid noted that his main job is to deliver World Cup qualification.

“His number one, number two, and number three job is to take us to the World Cup. That is what he is here for. Everything else is secondary,” Speid declared.

He also insists that McClaren was an easy pick as he ticked all the boxes. According to Speid, McClaren, who served as assistant and then had a brief spell as coach of England, also worked as Alex Ferguson’s second at Manchester United.

Speid also pointed to his experience working in other countries and as a FIFA technical advisor.

“The truth is, he ticked all of the boxes. He has coached international teams before. He coached England twice, once as an assistant under [Sven-Göran] Eriksson and once as coach in his own right.

“He worked under Alex Ferguson as assistant coach of Manchester United. He won the Dutch League as coach of FC Twente, one of the few teams to stop Ajax and PSV Eindhoven from winning the Dutch League

“He has coached numerous clubs in England, and even when he wasn’t coaching a club, he was working with FIFA as a consultant and working with national associations and their technical directors and technical departments.

“So he is very experienced, and he is a modern coach. So do not watch his age,” Speid said of the 63-year-old.

He pointed out that another major factor in choosing McClaren was his experience coaching top professionals, a quality Speid believes will be useful with the current crop of Reggae Boyz.

ATTRACTIVE FOR INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

He also thinks the veteran coach’s presence will make the Reggae Boyz more attractive to players with Jamaican heritage playing in England.

“He coached name-brand players. All throughout his career he has coached big players. Also, I do not think we will have any issues getting players (for international duties), because he knows all the managers in England, and a lot of our players come from England.

“So at the end of the day, no other manager could stack up a CV like that. So when you look at all the boxes, he ticked them all.”

He added that McLaren’s experience working with the JFF as a FIFA consultant gave him a head start.

“He has coached international teams, so he knows he has to adapt, and it is not the first time he is having links with Jamaica because he came here. He did come here on behalf of FIFA to help us with systems and gave us some advice on how to improve them.

“So he already knows what we are about because we went through what Jamaica football was about extensively. For days and days we spoke to him about it. So the truth is, he knows what to expect already.

“It (his experience with Jamaica) will help a lot. So it is not that we could not get other coaches, but they would have had issues.”

McLaren officially starts working today, as per his contract, and is due in the island next week.

“We will not play again until September, but until that time, he will be doing his homework. He will be looking at players, talking to them and probably recruiting one or two,” Speid said.

In a JFF release, McLaren stated that his experience working with Jamaica in the past endeared him to the country and that he had no hesitation in signing on.

“I spent time at FIFA as a technical advisor on their Global Eco Analysis project. Jamaica was one of the teams I worked with , and I quickly came to realise the potential the country possessed.

“In the years since, that potential has grown significantly, and there is every reason to believe that with continued hard work and development, a bright future lies ahead.”

“I am extremely proud and excited to take up the position of head coach for the Jamaica men’s national team. I had no hesitation in accepting a position that is ideally suited to me at this stage of my career,” he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com