Hallgrimsson believes unified Reggae Boyz is his legacy

FORMER REGGAE Boyz head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he will be leaving the national programme in better shape for his successor after inheriting a “disjointed” Jamaica squad.

Hallgrimsson tendered his resignation on Sunday following the conclusion of Jamaica’s Copa America campaign.

He said he will be leaving the team and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in a more positive state when compared to the way it was when he arrived.

“I think the biggest positive in my opinion is that the squad is a lot more healthier than it has ever been. There is higher standards, there is more accountability, there is more responsibility from the players and there is more team players that think about the team first.”

Hallgrimsson said this extends to the professional standards of the coaching staff as well. He said throughout his tenure, there has been marked improvement in the work done by the coaching staff.

He also sought to thank the staff for their dedication during his two-year stint.

“I want to thank and compliment the staff in this journey,” he said.

“I think the players are now happy with all that the medical staff has been doing. We saw a lot of work from them, working from early morning to late night, but they have shown what we want and we need hard work. They have led by example.”

Hallgrimsson explained his comments come after being warned by the JFF he would be in charge of a disjointed Jamaican squad.

He was told there was a divide within the camp between local-based players and overseas-based players which affected the team’s chemistry.

Now, he said the camaraderie within the camp is very healthy with all the players willing to play and work for their teammates and for Jamaica.

“When we came, I was told, even from the people in charge, that this was a disjointed squad and there was kind of two or three groups of players that were playing and they could not work together.

“Being professional in camp is something that has really improved and I give a lot of credit to the players in how they conduct themselves and now it is an absolute honour and privilege to have worked with them, so these are the positives I take from this journey.”

Hallgrimsson explained he will also be leaving behind analytic data and player profiles for his successor to use should they choose to do so.

He confirmed the JFF is in possession of this data and said he hopes the progress seen by Jamaica over the last two years will continue.

“I’m pretty sure I will leave my shirt in a better place than when I came. We’re leaving a lot of data at the JFF; tactical data, profiles on players so the next coach will not need to start from zero,” he said.

“We have at least seen to it that the growth can continue and we don’t need to restart from zero and there is a basis that we can work from and I hope it will be a smooth transition.”