Following yet another impressive display with the Reggae Boyz, Arnett Gardens striker Warner Brown is being tipped to become a mainstay in the squad and potentially secure a big move overseas.

The national senior men’s team ended their second round Concacaf World Cup Qualifying campaign on Tuesday with a comfortable 3-0 win over Guatemala at the National Stadium.

Though it was Steve McClaren’s first win at the National Stadium since his appointment last July, it was Brown who stole the show with a brace in front of the home support.

The 22-year-old reacted quickest to Leon Bailey’s penalty miss to smash home in the 37th minute before showing his striker’s instinct yet again in minute 73 after latching on to Demarai Gray’s corner to the near post.

It’s now four international goals in just seven appearances for Brown and McClaren believes he’s proving to be a valuable member of the squad.

“We first looked at him in the local [league] and we liked his energy, his enthusiasm, his pace; he runs behind and he’s always in the middle of the goal,” he said.

“So to bring him, we threw him in against St Vincent; he scored a great goal and he’s done the same ever since. But the work he does for the team out of possession is really integral to what we’re doing at the moment.”

Arnett Gardens Head Coach Xavier Gilbert says he’s elated with Brown, who has continued his momentum from the recently concluded Jamaica Premier League season where he won the golden boot and led the club to a third-place finish.

“I’m so happy for him. He works extremely hard, he’s dedicated, he has the mindset that he wants to better himself and do well on the international stage, and I think his energy and willingness to go out there and work hard is something that is an asset to Jamaica. I’m so pleased and happy with how he’s acquitted himself so far in the national set-up and he’s been rewarded for his work,” Gilbert told the
Jamaica Observer.

It’s a remarkable rise for Brown, who was often used as a back-up option in the 2023/2024 season, which saw him score only two goals in 20 appearances.

This season, he became the league’s most lethal striker with 22 goals in 33 appearances. Brown also became the third player in the last 11 years to surpass the 20-goal mark, joining Craig Foster in 2015 and Colin Anderson in 2023.

Gilbert says Arnett’s technical staff put in extra work to ensure Brown elevated his standards.

“To be honest, I thought he was a little bit more focused this season than last season,” he said.

“I think he was unlucky on a number of occasions [last season] but we worked assidiously on his craft to help him develop and we also changed a little bit of how we played to make sure we could get the best out of him. I thought that made the difference this season and we’re so happy to have worked with him and to have helped him on his journey and so pleased with his overall performances.”

The Observer understands that several international clubs have been monitoring Brown’s situation and Gilbert is hoping a big move will materialise.

“We had anticipated that based on his performances that clubs will be calling for him and we are very happy and elated for him to [get the chance] play at a higher level,” Gilbert said.

“Yes, we would miss him if he does get the opportunity but that’s part of the mandate of the club – see how best we can get players (sold) so the club can benefit financially. That’s why we expose many youngsters — we lost Dixon last season to the same route and we hope that we can have Warner going via the same route,” he added.

Brown will be looking to attract more interest in the coming days as he takes part in Jamaica’s Concacaf Gold Cup campaign which kicks off on Monday.

— DANIEL BLAKE