TORONTO, Canada — The mention of the name Dane Kelly may not immediately send bells ringing in some quarters.

But by his own admission, he intends to change that by making his mark on Jamaica’s football now that he has another chance to do so.

In the US Soccer League (USL), where he is a goalscoring machine, Kelly is a star in his own right. This season he has scored “16 goals from 23 matches” and, with his current form, more should come.

Kelly, 26, who plies his trade with newly minted USL franchise Reno 1868, now aims to align his name with Jamaica’s football in a serious way.

He now wants to build on a slight brush with the senior team when he was called to a training camp in preparation for an away friendly against Argentina in 2010.

Kelly did not make the final cut then, but seven years later, he aims to cash in.

The former Tivoli Gardens striker has been called up by interim Reggae Boyz coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore for the team’s friendly international against Canada at the BMO Field in Toronto today.

Game time is 7:00 pm (6:00 pm Jamaica time).

“I just want to come in and do my best, because if you come here and you don’t do your best then you may not get another chance, so I plan to grab this opportunity with both hands,” he told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“I think if given a chance (to play today), I can go out there and play with whoever Canada is coming with because some of these players I have played against in the USL and the MLS; I just need to stay focused,” Kelly added.

The former Charleston Battery standout says he is encouraged by some of the good fortunes that have flowed the way of the senior Jamaica team, and anticipates continued growth.

“I think our football is going into a good direction, and now we have a lot of young players who are humble and willing to work hard and do good for their country and themselves.

“I think that if the national team continues on this path, I think it will be good for the country and the players,” Kelly noted.

Though he enjoys playing in the USL, the former Old Harbour High student thinks it’s time to reach higher.

“Overall it has been a good season so far. I think it is the best season I have ever had in the USL where I have scored 16 goals already. But I would want to go into the MLS, as I have done a lot in the MLS so I am ready to go there or elsewhere.

“There are some clubs that are interested and have been talking with my agent (Damani Ralph), and I am just waiting to see what happens after this season,” Kelly said.

The Jamaican striker believes in his style of play, which has got him this far and which he thinks will take him further up the football ladder.

“I love when the ball is played over the top for me to run behind defenders as I depend on my speed and I also can hit the ball pretty well,” Kelly noted.

— Sean Williams