New Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren says one of his mandates as he attempts to qualify the team for the FIFA World Cup in just under two years is the development of local talent.

McClaren, who was announced as the new head coach last week, was officially introduced to the public by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) on Thursday.

He replaces Heimir Hallgrímsson, who resigned from the role in June.

While Hallgrímsson, who was appointed by the Republic of Ireland days after his resignation, had various issues with the JFF, there were also criticisms of his management of the team and national programme. One of these was his perceived reluctance to select local players for competitive matches and tournaments. Hallgrímsson was criticised in 2023 for not selecting any Jamaica Premier League players to be a part of his Concacaf Gold Cup squad.

Stakeholders from local clubs voiced concerns about what they said was a stagnation of the local programme with heritage players from across the diaspora being recruited to fill first-team spots.

Local fans also questioned the commitment and passion of overseas-based players, saying they lack the hunger and drive of local players desperate for a chance to showcase themselves and earn contracts with foreign clubs.

But McClaren says his previous experience analysing local football has brought talent to his attention.

“I always knew that this country has unbelievable potential and talent because I was technical expert for FIFA for two years working on the ecosystem which really analysed every country in the world,” he said. “We analysed 210 countries. I analysed about 20, of which Jamaica was one of them. After doing the analysis and the report three years ago, Jamaica has always been in the back of my mind because it was the one country in which the potential and the talent is here.

“There is such a lot to do. What I’ve seen over the last two years is unbelievable development. That’s a credit to the president, Mr Dennis Chung (JFF general secretary), Mr Speid, and all the staff.”

Technical Committee Chairman Rudolph Speid hinted at addressing a lack of quality of the players at the various age-group levels, saying, ‘That’s why we performed so dismally in the last couple of years.’

He suggests this was one of the reasons McClaren was hired, describing the decision as a “no-brainer”.

“We now have a good coach in our ranks but now our committee will be focusing on local development,” Speid said. “We have some things in place and you’ll hear about it soon.”

JFF President Michael Ricketts has asked for full support for McClaren, saying the relationship breakdown with previous coaches cannot recur.

Ricketts stressed the need to ensure that McClaren feels comfortable in his role, as he is tasked to qualify the team for the FIFA World Cup in under two years.

One of Hallgrímsson’s grouses was a lack of resources. These issues prompted his resignation and taking on a new role with the Republic of Ireland’s senior men’s national team.

McClaren left his role as assistant manager to Erik ten Hag at English Premier League’s Manchester United, but he will continue working as a first-team coach with that club. Richard Hartist will join McClaren as his assistant, and the Reggae Boyz’s goalkeeping coach.

The JFF says the vacancy was not advertised but candidates were headhunted based on recommendations. However, it says over 50 people applied for the position, with some sending resumes even after McClaren was chosen. Applications were also received the same night Hallgrímsson resigned.

Ricketts describes this upcoming period as no time to idle.

“We are intent on getting to the World Cup and we will not be derailed,” he said. “We must be very, very serious about what we have to do. We must ensure that we exhibit the highest level of professionalism. We can’t afford to do things that will make the coach unhappy, and make him feel discouraged.

“As I said to him this morning, ‘Coach, you are coming from a first world country; we are not able to give you everything you’d like, but we will give you the best of what we have to offer. We’re going to work together – the JFF, the coaching staff, the JFF administrative staff, the directors. We all want to operate as a unit, to form an alliance that will take us to the World Cup. We can’t afford to miss this opportunity.”

How Hallgrímsson departed had disappointed the JFF, as it felt it was left with little time to find a replacement to prepare for upcoming games. However, Ricketts now says Hallgrímsson’s departure presented a positive.

“We were intent on putting things in place and we went for Coach Hallgrímsson — it was with that in mind. Now that we have to shift directions, we honestly think that it could be a blessing to have Coach McClaren with us.”

Ricketts is aware that public opinion of the JFF is largely negative, not only in light of recent results but also because of broken relationships between itself and players, and also its relationship with previous coaches. With this in mind, he has called for positivity from all stakeholders as they look to start fresh with a new head coach.

“Let’s just stay focused, stay strong,” Ricketts said. “We have to be tough mentally, and I want you to give us some support. Rather than tearing us down, just stay strong. Be patient and we will be at the World Cup in 2026.”

McClaren’s first assignment will be in the Concacaf Nations League when Jamaica hosts Cuba at the National Stadium on Friday, September 6.