Steve McClaren speaks for the first time since leaving Manchester United to take the Jamaica job and wonders whether he would bring Mason Greenwood into the Reggae Boyz… but does he have a bit of an accent?

It was the question many were holding their breath for: would Steve McClaren sport a Jamaican accent now that he has been appointed as the country’s new national coach?

On Thursday, when the 63-year-old was ambushed by a television crew minutes after landing, we got the answer.

The former England manager said during the night that it was “a pleasure to be here” and that he planned to “find a hotel”.

And as he did so, Mail Sport detected the faintest hint of an accent. It was fleeting, almost imperceptible, but in some of his sentences McClaren’s voice changed. Was he trying to sound Jamaican?

“A pleasure to be here. (I will) find a hotel, have a good rest, sleep well and then I will see you all tomorrow,” he told Television Jamaica.

How did it feel to get off the plane? ‘No problem. I like the heat.’

Football fans had been anticipating the return of McClaren’s accent antics with some trepidation. A defining memory from his title-winning time with Twente in the Netherlands is his attempt to use a subtle Dutch accent while speaking English.

“I am very concerned about the idea of ​​Steve McClaren having a Jamaican accent during his interviews,” wrote one user on X, formerly Twitter.

But sociolinguistics professor Rob Drummond told The Athletic in January that it was a “really positive” that people were switching accents and showing off their communication skills, after Eric Dier was cruelly mocked for his German hue upon his move to Bayern Munich.

McClaren remained tight-lipped when asked outside the airport if he would lure Mason Greenwood to the Reggae Boyz, but he spoke candidly about his plans at his first press conference.

He insisted he would try to recruit foreign-born stars such as Isaac Hayden and Greenwood – who recently left for Marseille for £30million – to play for his national team.

“I know the players. I met Mason and we had a little chat. I want to meet everyone when I get back and find out if they really want to come here and play for Jamaica,” he said, according to McAnuff Sports, an X account that posted a photo of his first press conference.

“Again, it’s the commitment. I’ll make sure we have a conversation with all the players. We have a list.

“We want to go to a World Cup. To be a good team, we have to get the best players. If that means we can use heritage players, then we will do that. Local players have to be good enough. Heritage players have to be good enough.”

He also indicated he would like to reinstate Aston Villa star Leon Bailey into the squad after he retired from the national team in January.

“As soon as I get back to England I will contact all the players. I will contact Leon and see what he thinks,” he said.

“I like recruiting. The most important thing with Leon is to talk to him and communicate. It’s a clean sheet. I know a little bit about the history. I know about top players and I understand them. It’s a conversation we’ll have.”

He added: ‘I have had a very warm welcome and I feel very good about coming here and taking this job with a view to the 2026 World Cup. I always knew that this country has an incredible amount of talent and potential.’

McClaren was assistant manager at Manchester United, but quit at the end of July to take up the role at Jamaica.

Previously assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson, he returned to Old Trafford two seasons ago with Erik ten Hag’s team, where the Dutchman was tasked with leading the club back to trophies.

He said: ‘We finished on a high and won the FA Cup. I thought it was the perfect time to leave Manchester United. I like a challenge and this is an exciting one. It’s a World Cup! We have to sell the dream of a World Cup to everyone. We have to make this dream come true.’

Mail Sport previously revealed that Jamaica had also held talks with Steve Bruce.