This question left many holding their breath: Would Steve McClaren adopt a Jamaican accent once he was appointed the country’s new coach?
On Thursday, when the 63-year-old was ambushed by a television crew just minutes after landing, we got our answer.
Under cover of night, the former England manager said it was “a pleasure to be here” and expressed his intention to “find a hotel”.
And as he did, Mail Sport noticed a very slight accent. It was fleeting, almost imperceptible, but in some of his sentences McClaren’s voice changed. Was he trying to sound Jamaican?
“It is a pleasure to be here. (I will) find a hotel, have a good rest, a good night’s sleep and we will all see each other tomorrow,” he told Television Jamaica.
Steve McClaren had a slight Jamaican accent when he was ambushed by a reporter
The Jamaican coach further spoke about his plans to bring Mason Greenwood into the team.
How did it feel to get off the plane? “No problem. I love the warmth.”
Football fans had been awaiting the return of McClaren’s accent antics with some trepidation. A striking memory from his time as champion with Twente in the Netherlands is his attempt to develop a subtle Dutch accent when speaking English.
“The prospect of Steve McClaren having a Jamaican accent in his interviews worries me greatly,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter).
But sociolinguistics professor Rob Drummond told The Athletic in January that it was “really positive” when people changed their accent and it showed their communication skills, after Eric Dier was cruelly mocked for his German pronunciation when he joined Bayern Munich.
When asked if he would try to lure Mason Greenwood to the Reggae Boyz, McClaren remained tight-lipped outside the airport, but spoke at length about his plans in his first press conference.
He stressed he would try to sign foreign-born stars such as Isaac Hayden and Greenwood – who recently joined Marseille for £30 million – who could play for his national team.
“I know the players. I met Mason and we had a quick chat. I want to meet everyone when I get back and find out if they really want to come here and play for Jamaica,” he said, according to McAnuff Sports, an X-account that posted a picture from his first press conference.
“Again, it’s about commitment. I’ll make sure we talk to all the players. We have a list.”
McClaren was Erik ten Hag’s assistant coach at Man United until he took the job.
He announced that he had already spoken to Greenwood about a possible move to Jamaica.
“We want to play in a World Cup. To be a good team, we need to have the best players. If that means we can use regular players, we will do that. Local players have to be good enough. Regular players have to be good enough.”
He also expressed his desire to reintegrate Aston Villa star Leon Bailey into the team after he retired from international duty in January.
“As soon as I get back to England I will contact all the players. I will contact Leon and see how he is,” he said.
“I like recruiting players. The most important thing with Leon is to talk to him and communicate. He’s a clean slate. I know a bit of history. I know top players and understand them. That’s a conversation we’re going to have.”
He added: “I received a really warm welcome and had a really good feeling about coming here and taking on this job with the vision of the 2026 World Cup. I always knew that this country has incredible talent and potential.”
McClaren was assistant coach at Manchester United before resigning at the end of July to take up the post in Jamaica.
A former assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, he returned to Old Trafford two seasons ago to join Erik ten Hag, who was given the task of leading the club back to the title.
McClaren also wants to bring Leon Bailey back into the team after he left the national team.
Leon Bailey was seen on stage dancing alongside a man in cricket gear as his team battled at the Copa America
He said: “We finished well and won the FA Cup. I thought it was the perfect time to leave Manchester United. I love a challenge and this is an exciting one. It’s a World Cup! We have to make the dream of a World Cup attractive to everyone. We have to make that dream come true.”
Mail Sport had previously reported that Jamaica had also held talks with Steve Bruce.
