When the call came a third time, Isaac Hayden finally said yes.
Jamaica had come knocking twice before, asking if he’d consider switching allegiance from England — the country he’d represented at every youth level — but the timing never quite worked out.
This time, though, everything aligned perfectly.
Nearing 30, cut adrift from Newcastle United, and struggling with recurring injuries, Hayden was desperate to rediscover the spark that once defined his career.
“It was tough,” he admits. “You start doubting yourself when you’re not playing.
I’d been training with the Under-23s for months.
I probably played two games — both in the National League Cup against non-League sides.
One at Halifax — freezing cold, barely anyone there, terrible pitch. It was rubbish.”
Then came a lifeline — a call from Steve McClaren.
McClaren’s Call That Changed Everything
Steve McClaren had just taken charge of Jamaica’s national team and remembered Hayden from years earlier when he’d tried to sign him for Derby. That connection proved crucial.
“Steve told me, ‘Sort your passport out. Give it a go.
If it’s not for you, it’s not for you — but I think it will be,’” Hayden recalls.
With his father, Sol, a proud Jamaican, all the documents were ready.
Newcastle, happy to give him a break, allowed him a few days off.
Hayden flew to Kingston, sorted his passport in under 48 hours, and came back a Reggae Boy.
“It all just fell into place,” he smiles.
From Halifax to Kingston — A Career Reborn
Fast forward a year, and Hayden’s world looks completely different.
He made his debut against the United States and was blown away by the Caribbean passion.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” he says.
“It took over an hour to move a mile from the hotel to the stadium.
People just left their cars in the road! Chaos — but amazing chaos.”
That taste of football joy reignited something inside him.
He spent the rest of last season on loan at Portsmouth, earned a move to QPR in the summer, and now stands on the verge of making history — with 10 caps to his name and Jamaica just one win away from the World Cup.
Jamaica’s World Cup Dream Under McClaren
McClaren’s Reggae Boyz sit top of their qualifying group with two matches left — away to Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday, then at home against Curacao in Kingston on Tuesday.
If they win that second match, Jamaica will qualify for only their second-ever World Cup — a huge moment for an island of 2.8 million people still recovering from the damage left by Hurricane Melissa.
“Jamaicans everywhere would be so proud,” McClaren said this week.
“We’ve had highs and lows, but everything comes down to this — our attitude, our fight, our will to win.”
The English Connection Behind Jamaica’s Push
Since taking the job in July 2024, McClaren has surrounded himself with familiar faces — Trevor Sinclair, Paul Simpson, and ex-Manchester United coach Richard Hartis.
Together, they’ve built a squad with deep English roots: 15 of the 26 players are based in English football.
Brentford’s Rico Henry just completed his passport switch and could feature alongside clubmate Ethan Pinnock.
QPR duo Hayden and in-form striker Rumarn Burrell also made the squad, while young Chelsea prospect Dujuan “Whisper” Richards — who debuted at 17 — adds flair up front.
Three Charlton players, Tyreece Campbell, Karoy Anderson, and Kaheim Dixon, join the mix too, making up a strong London contingent.
Football, Family, and Identity
For many of these players, Jamaica represents more than football — it’s a connection to their roots.
Charlton’s Amari’i Bell, who has 29 caps and once captained his country, says it best: “We might not have been born there, but we were born into Jamaica — just outside it.
The culture, the music, the food — it’s all the same. You feel it as soon as you pull on the shirt.”
He and his teammates have even led fundraising efforts for hurricane relief — a reminder of how tightly knit the group has become.
A Squad Blending Experience and New Energy
The team features familiar names too: Birmingham winger Demarai Gray, ex-Everton defender Mason Holgate, and Roma loanee Leon Bailey (currently injured).
Michail Antonio is absent after leaving West Ham but remains close to the squad.
For players used to Premier League luxury, adapting to Caribbean football has been eye-opening.
“The pitches, the travel, the heat — it’s all different,” says Hayden.
“That pitch in Curacao was the worst I’ve ever seen.
Like a soft carpet rolled out. So strange. But it builds camaraderie — we all just get on with it.”
A Mix of Home and Abroad
McClaren’s strategy is smart — blending players from Europe with local talents.
Shamar Nicholson, Jamaica’s main striker who plays in Mexico, has 21 goals in 61 games and is described by McClaren as “the best in the Caribbean.”
Warner Brown, just 23, represents the local league with pride, while veteran Brazilian coach René Simões — the man who took Jamaica to the 1998 World Cup — was recently invited to motivate the squad.
Old Friends, New Foes
There’s extra intrigue in the final stretch. Trinidad are led by Dwight Yorke, once McClaren’s player at Manchester United.
Curacao, their last opponent, are coached by Dick Advocaat, a man with nearly five decades in management and experience at eight national teams.
But Jamaica believe this is their time.
The Island Awaits
“Playing for Jamaica is a dream,” says Bell. “To reach a World Cup would be history.
We all believe we can do it.”
As Tuesday in Kingston approaches, the island — and its far-flung diaspora — holds its breath.
The Reggae Boyz, led by a once-sceptical midfielder reborn in yellow and green, are 90 minutes from rewriting history.