The inclusion of 17-year-old Seymour Reid in Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz squad for the upcoming Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers came as a surprise to many but not to former national Under-17 assistant coach Vassell Reynolds who believes the player can have a long-term impact on the programme.

Reid, New York City FC’s (NYCFC) youngest-ever player and goalscorer in Major League Soccer (MLS), received his first senior call-up by Head Coach Steve McClaren on Saturday ahead of their pivotal fixtures against Curacao on Friday and Bermuda on Tuesday.

The teenager’s stocks have been on the rise since his three goals for Jamaica during the Concacaf Under-17 Championship in February. Last month, he became the second-youngest scorer in the history of MLS as he netted in stoppage time, moments after coming on as a substitute, in NYCFC’s 3-1 win over Chicago Fire.

With Reid in line to become one of the youngest-ever players in the history of the senior Reggae Boyz, McClaren says he’s eager to see what he has to offer after scouting him for a while.

“One addition that we’ve kept our eye on for quite a while is Seymour Reid, who I first saw training with ‘Freddie’ Butler’s team in the Under-17s a few months ago,” he said. “I was impressed. I’ve watched him in NYCFC’s second team and now he’s in the first team. He’s getting appearances, coming on, scoring goals, and he’s very young. He’s not 18 yet, so he’s one for the future but we want to get him in and have a look at him. I really look forward to seeing Seymour training with us.”

Reynolds spent several months with Reid during the Reggae Boyz Under-17 World Cup Qualifying campaign.

He told the Jamaica Observer that it was only a matter of time before he made the jump to the senior team.

“I first saw him sometime around last year and the way he executed in that tournament that we went to in Mexico, I walked over to him and I said to him that with this kind of performance, once you continue the sky’s the limit and I’m certain that the senior Reggae Boyz coach will be calling you very, very soon,” Reynolds said.

“As a matter of fact, I did call a member of the technical staff from the senior team and said to him that here’s a youngster — I feel very soon we will have to introduce him at least to a camp to give him the necessary exposure because he’s one for the future.”

While Reid’s talent was evident, Reynolds says his work ethic and leadership skills were just as impressive.

“He always wants to improve his game and he’s not satisfied with mediocre performance, both for his own team and for himself,” he said.

“He’s always coming to you to ask for ideas and solutions on how to improve his game and that, I think, is the hallmark of a good player in the making, in terms of his personality. He’s also a good team player, he’s always beckoning and trying to get his troops rallied to lift their game, etc, so that’s one of the things I like about him in terms of starting off the field.”

Reid will have his work cut out for him, though, as he will be competing for a spot in the team with of one of Jamaica’s all-time leading goalscorers Shamar Nicholson as well as English-born duo Bailey Cadamarteri and Rumarn Burrell.

However, Reynolds is advising Reid to be patient and let his play do the talking.

“Keep grounded and despite your age, continue to show confidence in yourself. Take it step by step, keep working hard, be mindful that you’re in a senior environment and there’s a lot that you can learn, so you learn as you go along and be prepared to grab any opportunity when given,” he said.

Reid can potentially become one of the youngest players to represent the senior Reggae Boyz, joining the likes of Ricardo “Bibi” Gardner, Dujuan Richards and the late Winston “Fanna” Griffiths, who all made their debuts before turning 18.