- Jamaica eager to recruit Greenwood
- Forward granted citizenship and passport
- Marseille player still unwilling to commit
Greenwood had been expected to pledge his international future to Jamaica after being granted citizenship and a new passport. McClaren had even been hoping to have the Marseille forward in his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago over the current international break but has not been able to call up the 23-year-old.
McClaren has now lifted the lid on the situation and revealed the conversations he has had with Greenwood. The Marseille forward, who scored 21 goals last season in Ligue 1, has still not committed his international future to Jamaica and has told the coach that he wants to focus on his club football for the time being.
McClaren told a press conference: “We acquired a passport and we expected him to be coming to this camp but on a conversation with his family, he’s not going to commit at this time to anybody. So he’s taking his time over that. It’s a little bit disappointing, we probably have to be more patient.
“We will keep the contact. We will keep pursuing him because I know from my conversations with Mason that he loves Jamaica, he respects Jamaica. He wants to concentrate on club football and not commit to an international team at the moment.
“We have to respect that, however much we’ve worked to get him here for these camps. So, who knows in the future.”
Jamaica still seem hopeful that Greenwood can be convinced to switch allegiance from England as they bid to qualify for the World Cup for just the second time. In the meantime, the ex-Manchester United player will return to action with Marseille against Lorient on Friday, September 12.
