The Jamaica Football Federation is denying reports in the British media claiming that veteran coach Sven-Goran Ericksson is set to become coach of Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz.

The Mirror reported on Wednesday that “Eriksson, 72, is the No 1 choice of the Reggae Boys following the resignation of Theodore Whitmore earlier this summer. The Swede has been out of work for more than a year after a spell in charge of the national team of the Philippines.

Eriksson is expected to accept a job with the Jamaican FA that will see him combine a coaching brief with a role as technical director. His challenge will be to qualify the Caribbean island for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022.”

However, when Sportsmax.TV contacted JFF President Michael Ricketts on Wednesday evening, he said he had heard the rumour and that what was reported was not true. He said the JFF was preparing a statement on the matter.

That statement read: “The Jamaica Football Federation is aware of a report in the Mirror newspaper in the UK stating amongst other things that Sven-Goran Eriksson is set to take up a coaching position as well as the position of Technical Director at the Jamaica Football Federation.

“The JFF wishes to categorically deny this report. We wish also to state that the current National Head Coach Theodore Whitmore has not tendered a resignation and therefore there is no vacant position to be filled.”

Between 1977 and 2001, Eriksson won 18 trophies with several clubs in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.

He won both the UEFA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup and reached the final of the European Cup. He has also managed England, Mexico, Philippines and the Ivory Coast, as well as two clubs in England.