REGGAE Boyz Head Coach Steve McClaren says bringing Rudolph Speid on board as the team’s technical advisor will significantly boost their efforts to qualify for next summer’s FIFA World Cup.

Speid, a three-time Jamaica Premier League and Concacaf Caribbean Cup winning coach, was given the approval by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) in late July and will now provide technical assistance for the final round of Concacaf World Cup Qualifying matches beginning this week.

There has been criticism regarding Speid’s appointment, with many citing a conflict of interest due to his role as JFF’s Technical Committee chairman as well as sporting director and head coach of Cavalier FC.

Speid, though, told the Jamaica Observer that he only took the job following months of requests from McClaren.

“A year ago the coach asked me, ‘Why you don’t come and help?’ And he’s not the first coach to ask me to come and help, other coaches have, but I believe this is an opportunity for us to qualify for the World Cup — one of our best chances,” Speid said in August.

“I was asked [to join the national team]. Some people might believe I pushed myself there but I can only tell people that I’ve never, ever applied for a job in my life — not even a working job. People have always asked me to do things and I either say no or accept it. So, I was asked multiple times and this time I’ve accepted to help because I believe I can help.”

McClaren, who was appointed in July 2024, says he always felt that Speid should have been involved from the first day of his arrival.

“It’s the role that I expected and wanted from the beginning because he brought me here,” he said. “It was probably my misinterpretation of things but generally, somebody like that is like a technical director, and every coach needs somebody at the side a technical director.

“I asked him to be very close at the beginning and he said he didn’t really want it because of all the other kind of responsibilities that he had within Jamaican football, which I understood. It was only really since he came to the Unity Cup that we’ve had him close, and we like that.”

McClaren says adding Speid to the set-up will improve the players and technical staff due to his resume.

“The amount of experience [Speid has], not just in coaching but owning a football club, knowing the Caribbean football, knowing the coaching landscape and being successful at that, I said, ‘How can I not tap into that?’ ” McClaren said.

“I want to use the experience that he has on the island, he has of the players, of the opponents of Caribbean football, of coaching, of his mind that he’s got because I respect it. You have to do that when you’re being successful locally, so for me, it’s no different. He’s stepping inside now instead of being on the outside.”

Speid says he admires the good working relationship with McClaren and is expecting it to translate into the team qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in almost 30 years.

“We’ve gone through all the strengths and weaknesses of the team, we’ve looked at the game model that we’ll employ against the three teams, and we’ve been very specific with the three teams in how they play and what they like to do. We’re looking also at the players in what the coach is trying to achieve,” said Speid.

“Me and Coach McClaren work very well together; I trust him and he trusts me. I think it’s a good partnership, in my mind. We’ve put together a really strong team and come with all our might to challenge. And while people say the zone is easy, no match is easy and we’re not going to be complacent.”

The Reggae Boyz will depart the island on Wednesday for their opening game against Bermuda on Friday, before returning to host Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium on Tuesday. The group also consists of Curacao.

Only the group winner will advance to the World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada next summer.

MCCLAREN … I want to use the experience that he has on the island, he has of the players, of the opponents of Caribbean football, of coaching, of his mind that he’s got because I respect it (Photo: Karl Mclarty)

SPEID … me and Coach McClaren work very well together; I trust him and he trusts me. I think it’s a good partnership, in my mind. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Jamaica striker Warner Brown (centre) celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Guatemala during the second-round Concacaf World Cup Qualifier at the National Stadium on Tuesday, June 10. (Photo: Joseph Wellington)