'No hesitation' - Manchester United coach leaves club to become national team manager
There has been another change to the Man Utd coaching set-up with the exit of the veteran coach.
Steve McClaren has left Manchester United to become head coach of the Jamaica national team.
The 63-year-old has signed an initial two-year deal with the Reggae Boyz in what is his first managerial job since 2019.
McClaren had worked as an assistant coach to Erik ten Hag for the past two seasons and was given the reworked role of senior first-team coach during their recent restructure, but leaves the club with immediate effect. The former England coach had not travelled on the club’s US pre-season tour in order to train the players who were due to return from international tournaments.
Jamaica had been looking for a manager since Heimir Hallgrimsson resigned at the end of last month to take charge of the Republic of Ireland, with McClaren set to lead the country as they look to qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking after the announcement, he said: “I am extremely proud and excited to take up the position of Head Coach for the Jamaica Men’s National Team. I had no hesitation in accepting a position that is ideally suited to me at this stage of my career.
“Prior to returning to Manchester United for a second spell, I spent time at FIFA as a Technical Advisor on their Global Eco Analysis project. Jamaica was one of the teams I worked with and I quickly came to realise the potential the country possessed. In the years since, that potential has grown significantly and there is every reason to believe that with continued hard work and development a bright future lies ahead.”