In-form strikers Jalmaro Calvin and Shaneil Thomas headline a largely local-based 28-man Reggae Boyz squad announced for the two friendlies against Trinidad & Tobago on February 6 and 9.
Calvin, who has represented Antigua & Barbuda at the youth level, has been rewarded with his maiden call-up after an excellent start to this season’s Wray & Nephew Premier League for defending champions Cavalier FC.
The 21-year-old currently leads the goal-scoring charts with 11 goals from 19 games.
Just behind Calvin on the goal-scorers list with 10 in 20 games this season is Montego Bay United’s Shaneil Thomas who has already represented the Reggae Boyz on two occasions back in 2023.
“A great initiative which started last year was to get the best local-based players together to have a camp to play an opponent and I thought that was a great idea,” Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren said in a press conference today where the squad was announced.
“We’ve assembled that camp and we play Trinidad. In the meantime, I’ve watched four or five games. I’ll watch two more on Sunday and two more on Monday and then we’ll get the squad together for Tuesday to play Trinidad on Thursday and Sunday. I’m looking forward to it immensely because I want to work with the local players and it’ll be great to see Dwight (Yorke) who’s just become head coach of Trinidad,” McClaren added.
Fifteen of the 28 players selected for these upcoming friendlies are uncapped, signaling a desire to expose new players to the international stage.
“What I’m hoping for is what happened last season at this time when they had two games against Trinidad. Three players emerged from that camp and became regulars in the squad for the Reggae Boyz senior national team. They are Kaheim Dixon, Richard King and Shaquan Davis,” McClaren said.
“If I get another three coming from this camp to improve our squad, that’s what I’m looking for. That’s the incentive for all the players coming in and that’s the incentive of everybody involved in this campaign, including the supporters,” McClaren added.
The full squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Benjamin Williams (Portmore United), Shaquan Davis (Mount Pleasant), Joshua Grant (New York Red Bulls), Jahmali Waite (El Paso Locomotive)
Defenders: Kyle Ming (Mount Pleasant), Richard King (Cavalier), Gadail Irving (Mount Pleasant), Robino Gordon (Vere United), Sue-Lae McCalla (Mount Pleasant), Stephen Young (Portmore United), Christopher Ainsworth (Cavalier), Fitzroy Cummings (Mount Pleasant), Jeovanni Laing (Cavalier), Maliek Howell (Las Vegas Lights FC)
Midfielders: Dwayne Atkinson (Cavalier), Shamar Watson (Cavalier), Jahshaun Anglin (Mount Pleasant), Romeo Guthrie (Portmore United), Demario Phillips (Montego Bay United), Nathaniel Howe (Chapelton Maroons), Daniel Green (Mount Pleasant)
Forwards: Kimoni Bailey (Mount Pleasant), Raheem Edwards (Mount Pleasant), Shaniel Thomas (Montego Bay United), Warner Brown (Arnett Gardens), Ranaldo Biggs (Racing United), Jalmaro Calvin (Cavalier), Kimani Arbouine (Arnett Gardens).
The first game will be held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex while the second will be at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.