Nolan added to Reggae Boyz’s Nations League squad

TEENAGE forward Jahmarie Nolan will replace injured winger Leon Bailey in the Reggae Boyz’s squad for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League group stage campaign. Nolan, 16, received the call from interim Head Coach Rudolph Speid and has joined the squad ahead of their opening game against Guatemala on Friday at the National Stadium. Bailey withdrew from the squad after missing Olympiakos FC’s Super League Greece match over the weekend with a reported ankle injury.

Nolan, who plays for Toronto FC II in MLS NEXT Pro — the third tier of American football — was the standout player in the national Under-17 team which qualified for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in November. The forward was named the tournament’s best player during the Concacaf Under-17 Qualifiers in February after registering four goals and two assists. The former Mount Pleasant FA player also impressed at the Under-20 level this year after scoring seven goals including two at this summer’s Concacaf Under-20 Championship, where Jamaica narrowly missed out on World Cup Qualification.

Nolan is one of the leading goalscorers in the MLS Next Pro season, registering 10 goals. He could become one of the youngest ever players to play for the senior Reggae Boyz. Nolan’s teammate at the national youth level, Jamone Lyle, 17, has also been called up by Speid but in a training capacity.

Jamaica U-20 forward Jamone Lyle plays the ball during their Concacaf U-20 Men’s Championship quarter-final game against Canada at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico, in August. (Photo: Concacaf Media) Lyle, who plays for Waterhouse FC in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) starred in the successful Under-17 qualifying campaign in February, registering three goals and three assists and played in all four games during the Under-20 Championship. Lyle scored three goals in the JPL last season and opened his account on Monday in Waterhouse’s 5-0 win over Humble Lion.

Racing United forward Tajay Grant, 24, who already has three goals in two JPL games, has also been invited to train with the squad. Grant made his debut in February in a 2-0 friendly win away to Martinique. Lyle or Grant could potentially replace Norwich City winger Andre Brooks, who withdrew from the squad through injury.

Brooks, who made his debut for Jamaica during March’s FIFA World Cup Play-offs, was substituted after 82 minutes in Norwich’s 4-3 loss to Bolton Wand…