While questions have been raised about the inclusion of Ravel Morrison and the omission of Shamar Nicholson, Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren stands by his selections, as he insisted that each decision was made on form, fitness, and the needs of the team heading into crucial World Cup qualifiers.

McClaren's declaration followed the naming of his 24-man squad for the final two second-round Concacaf qualifiers against the British Virgin Islands and Guatemala, which features the return of several key players, including Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Damion Lowe, and captain Andre Blake. However, it is the contrasting situations of Morrison and Nicholson that have dominated the conversation.

Despite Morrison’s limited club minutes in his ongoing stint in the lesser-known UAE league, McClaren pointed to the midfielder’s sharpness in training, creativity, and experience as assets needed for upcoming fixtures, while explaining Nicholson’s absence as a matter of timing and match readiness, with the striker having not played competitively since April.

Steve McClaren.

According to McClaren, Morrison earned his spot through both performance and presence during the just-concluded Unity Cup training camp in England, as the 32-year-old playmaker made the most of the opportunity as a late call-up.

"He trained for a week, and he was excellent. He trained well, looked fit, and when he came on for minutes in the two games, he brought a level of calmness to the game, and that is something I think we will definitely need against teams like the British Virgin Islands, who defend in low blocks. So we will need creativity, and there is no one more creative than Ravel Morrison," McClaren said in a SportsMax Zone interview on Tuesday.

The former Derby County and England manager also lauded Morrison’s attitude and influence within the squad, as he highlighted the midfielder’s intangibles—leadership, energy, and experience—as decisive factors in his inclusion.

“His energy and his attitude are quite infectious, so that is always a big plus. So we gave him an opportunity, and he did everything possible to stay in my mind and stay in the squad, and he has another opportunity to prove people wrong. He knows, though, that with his ability, he shouldn't be in Dubai. He should be in Europe, definitely the UK, and that may be a possibility, and if it is, then we will certainly help him along with it," McClaren shared.

Yet, the decision becomes more contentious when juxtaposed with the exclusion of Nicholson. The 28-year-old, who ranks sixth all-time in Jamaican scoring history with 19 goals in 56 appearances, has been sidelined due to what McClaren called a lack of match fitness.

Since moving to Club Tijuana from Spartak Moscow earlier this year, Nicholson has played only nine matches with one goal to his credit and has not featured since April 20. While he was part of the squad for Jamaica’s opening Gold Cup qualifiers in March, he was benched in the return leg in favour of Arnett Gardens’ Warner Brown.

"I’ve always liked Shamar. He’s my kind of number nine—big, strong, good in the air, can hold the ball up, and can score goals— so he was included in every squad up until the Unity Cup, and I have been following his progress. But the fact is that, Shamar unfortunately finished his season on April 20, and hasn’t played football I think he is maybe back in pre-season now in Mexico," McClaren explained.

Ravel Morrison.

In explaining the disparity between Morrison and Nicholson’s treatment, McClaren pointed to timing and physical readiness.

"The key thing is that Ravel in Dubai was training and playing regularly. He came into camp with a base level of fitness. Last week (Unity Cup) wasn’t the time to bring Shamar in and have him looked at at that level because it’s only a week, and people who play for the Jamaica national team have to be fit…we can’t build them up to fitness, so that was basically the reason," McClaren declared.

"It was bad timing for Shamar and good timing for Ravel. So Shamar knows the door is not shut; the door is wide open for him. All he has to do is perform. Perform in the club, he has to get off the bench and start playing first-team football, and he has an opportunity to do that in the preseason and before the World Cup qualifiers. Hopefully, we get through to the next stage so he has an opportunity to do that. So, like all players, I am looking for a reaction," the tactician added.