Hallgrimsson leaves with positive reflections

Heimir Hallgrimsson said he will be focusing on the positives throughout his two-year stint as Reggae Boyz head coach after tendering his resignation on Sunday.

Hallgrimsson announced he would be stepping away from his post as head coach of the national programme following the end of Jamaica's Copa America campaign.

He reflected on the positive results during his tenure which included a third-place finish at the Concacaf Nations League as well as securing qualification to Copa America with a historic win against Canada.

"I'm going to focus on the positives in this journey, a lot of positives," he said. "First of all, the results. Going away to Mexico and getting a result, going away to Canada and getting a result, bronze medal in the Nations League, and qualifying for Copa. So it is a lot of on the pitch results."

Hallgrimsson stated his decision to resign did not come from a decline in relationship with the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) or any player from the squad.

He said he will be leaving his post on friendly terms with all parties involved.

He wished the best for the future of the national programme as he sees it as an important project in his coaching career.

"There is no grudge from anyone to anyone and we leave in a friendly way because this was an important project for me. I've spent a lot of time and I've given a lot of work and time to this project and I would really love to see it continue to grow."

The Reggae Boyz are currently ranked 53rd in the FIFA Men's World Rankings, nine places better than the team's rankings when Hallgrimsson was appointed in 2022.

He said he hopes the team can continue to climb up the rankings in his absence and has left data for his successor to use.

"We are much higher in the rankings list and this will have Jamaica in the future when we have a draw for, let's say the World Cup groups or next Gold Cup, to be higher on the rankings and we need to protect that place that we are at," he said.

"We're leaving a lot of data at the JFF; tactical data, profiles on players so the next coach will not need to start from zero. We've done a lot of work for him so whether he likes it and wants to use it or not, that's his decision but it's there and already given to the JFF."

The JFF confirmed his resignation through a media release late on Sunday night and said the search for a new head coach is under way as the Concacaf Nations League and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers are imminent.