Agent: Why did McClaren turn down the Super Eagles job in Jamaica?

Former Manchester United assistant coach Steve McClaren has been offered the job of head coach of the senior Nigeria national team before being appointed as the head coach of the Jamaica national team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

McClaren was appointed Jamaica coach on August 1, leaving his role as one of Erik Ten Hag’s assistants. His decision could have been different had the Nigeria Football Federation been proactive and determined.

The coach met with the NFF hierarchy in London and talks were held to take over as head coach of the team, but he was left with no option but to accept the job in Jamaica after receiving no news from Nigeria weeks after the talks.

His representative said that when he contacted the NFF he was told that the 63-year-old is on a shortlist of four coaches and that the NFF will need to meet as a body before deciding who will be the coach.

He said it was that information that made them look elsewhere, and they did not have to look far before the offer from Jamaica came, while Nigeria remains without a coach two weeks before the start of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.

Austine Eguavoen, who is the head of the NFF’s technical department, is expected to take over on an interim basis for the games against Benin Republic and Rwanda respectively.