Rumarn Burrell looking towards World Cup Qualifiers

June 03, 2025
Rumarn Burrell
Rumarn Burrell

With his first minutes and first goal as a Reggae Boy now under his belt, Rumarn Burrell is looking to add to his experience in international football in Jamaica's upcoming World Cup Qualifying fixtures.

Burrell, who received his first call-up ahead of the recently concluded Unity Cup, played a major role across Jamaica's two games, scoring an overhead kick in Jamaica's opening meeting against Trinidad and Tobago.

The forward, speaking in an interview with his club Burton Albion, described the strike as a special achievement in his career.

"I'm not going to lie, it's been crazy. To score my first goal is a dream come true and just being here, around all the players has been a great experience. To score for my country is a crazy feeling," he said.

"The atmosphere is different from league football, it felt like there were 50,000 people in here (stadium) today. The vibes and the culture on display here today was amazing to see," he added in post-match comments.

The striker also feels he has settled well within the team as he felt welcomed by the players.

"It was easy to gel in with the boys, we're like a big family. We pray together, we train together and are around each other 24/7 so it was easy to get to know everyone."

Burrell has now turned his attention to Jamaica's upcoming World Cup Qualifiers, where he is hoping to play a role in the national programme.

Jamaica will take on the British Virgin Islands in an away fixture on June 7, before returning to the island to Guatemala at the National Stadium on June 10.

"I am definitely looking for more. I thought I put a good performance in on my debut, got the goal, and today I tried to build on that. I'll hopefully gain more experience at this level over time, and keep on going.

"We have an amazing coach, he gives us easy instructions for what he wants on the pitch and I'm really enjoying working under him. We have qualifiers coming up, we just need to build on today, and from Tuesday night as well," he noted of the day when their other fixture was played.

In that match, Jamaica turned by Caribbean archrivals Trinidad and Tobago 3-2.

Reggae Boyz head coach, Steve McClaren, also praised Burrell's impact on the squad and believes he can contribute to the team's goals.

McClaren explained that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has been monitoring Burrell's career and felt it was the right time to bring him into the fold.

"He came to our attention five or six months ago. We kept an eye on him, and when we were putting the squad together, we drafted him in," McClaren said.

"He's a goalscorer, a poacher, but what I love about him is that he's a worker. He works so hard, he runs behind but then helps out defensively every time. He got his goal on Tuesday, it's been a great week for him."

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com

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