KINGSTON, Jamaica — Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren insists Marseille FC player Mason Greenwood wants to be part of the team, and he hopes the former Manchester United player will join the team. team by March next year.

McClaren addressed the media at Saturday’s press conference, where he announced the 23-man squad for the Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against the United States, calling for patience in the process of acquiring the prolific goalscorer.

“I’ve heard a lot of publicity about Mason Greenwood, and still around him,” he said. “I’m in constant contact with Mason, the message is always the same, ‘when the time is right’.”

Recent reports from England suggest the 23-year-old, who made one senior appearance for England as a substitute against Iceland, is hoping to speak with new England manager Thomas Tuchel to assess his playing potential for the “Three Lions”. ‘

READ: Mason Greenwood to hold talks with England boss before making Reggae Boyz switch – reports

Greenwood, who is eligible to switch allegiance to the Caribbean island through his Jamaican-born father, has been left out of several England squads following his high-profile arrest for assault in January 2022 All charges were dropped a year later due to “the removal of key witnesses and new evidence coming to light.”

McClaren, who has known Greenwood since their time at Manchester United, said: “You have to think he went through a traumatic time in the last two years of his contract, and he went out on loan. He’s been here, he’s been there – advertising, and I think he just wants to move to Marseille and enjoy football, which he does, and he wants to join the Reggae Boyz. I know that every time I talk to him, I have no reason to doubt it, and the process continues.

After Greenwood missed an earlier opportunity to join the Jamaican team, McClaren said: “I didn’t expect it to be the case, once you miss the first camp, one of those camps , but I hope that by March we will have made progress. Above all. Like I said, our whole project and our whole process is about qualifying for the World Cup, and that’s still, I know, on the horizon, but it’s still something we’re looking forward to. let’s think now and plan for the long term. So Mason, we’re keeping an eye on this and letting you know.

-Paul A. Reid