Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi dropped Mason Greenwood last weekend after claiming the former Manchester United player was “too inconsistent” and “training badly”
Steve McClaren is confident that a reunion with Mason Greenwood will happen after acknowledging being in regular contact with the former Manchester United player and his family.
Greenwood left United in mid-July, joining on a permanent transfer worth a reported £26.6million after spending last season on loan at Getafe. McClaren then left his role as the club’s assistant coach in early August to become head coach of the Jamaica men’s national team.
Weeks after his exit, reports emerged that Greenwood had begun the process of gaining Jamaican citizenship, where his father, Andrew, was born, to play for the country internationally. The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) were said to have been looking to recruit the player for several months before appointing McClaren.
Greenwood, however, has previously played for the England men’s senior team, making his only appearance as a late substitute in September 2020 during a Nations League match away in Iceland. That means the player has to switch their allegiance before being able to play for another national team.
Earlier this month, The Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed Greenwood had requested to do so. “So my understanding – and I’d have to double-check my understanding – is he’s asked to switch,” Bullingham said. “That’s happened formally.”
However, the BBC reports that the process remains ongoing as the JFF does not yet have the necessary documentation for Greenwood to represent them. He is, therefore, not in their squad for Concacaf Gold Cup qualifiers against Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
McClaren, though, remains confident Greenwood still wants to play for the Reggae Boyz. “We are in contact with him and his family all the time,” the Jamaica head coach has said.
“I am very confident he only wants to play for Jamaica. It is up to him when he moves forward with that; the ball is in his court.”
2025-03-14 20:34:15
