NEW Reggae Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren has praised the work done by his predecessor Heimir Hallgrímsson and says he will be relying on data left behind to aid his adjustment.

McClaren, who was appointed by Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) last week, was officially introduced on Thursday.

He says he has spoken with Hallgrímsson, who resigned as head coach on June 30 after Jamaica exited the CONMEBOL Copa America without a win in three group games. The Republic of Ireland then hired Hallgrímsson as its head coach just over a week later.

“I spoke with Heimir a couple of weeks ago and he said to me, ‘I just wanted to leave the shirt in a better place.’ And I think that’s exactly what I want to do — leave the shirt in a better place, Jamaican football in a better place,” McClaren said.

Hallgrímsson had said in his parting message that he left behind tactical data on players so the next coach “will not have to start from zero”.

“I’ve done a lot of work for him [next coach]. Whether he likes it and wants to use it or not, that’s his decision but it’s there, already given to the JFF — programmes, checklists, et cetera,” Hallgrímsson said. “So, we’re leaving, for sure, a much more positive environment than when we came — and that’s down to the players.”

McClaren praised the work done during Hallgrímsson’s time — not only by him but also by the rest of the technical staff and the technical committee to develop local talent — as a great job done.

“It’s my job now to take that baton and to carry it on, hopefully,” he said. “And the vision is 2026 [the year of the next FIFA World Cup], is development of the coaches, development of the talent that is on this island, and everything else that goes with it.

“It’s not about resources; it’s about people, it’s about behaviours, and it’s about standards; they’re the three main things that we’ll be targeting. We might not have the greatest resources but it’s the people, standards, and behaviour that will make the difference — and that’s what we’re all here to work towards,” McClaren said.

McClaren’s first game in charge takes place against Cuba in the Concacaf Nations League on Friday, September 6.