HALL

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

ENGLAND-BASED forward Paul Hall, who helped Jamaica's Reggae Boyz to unprecedented World Cup finals qualification in 1998, believes Brazilian Rene Simoes is the best coach he has ever worked with, Bermuda's Royal Gazette newspaper has reported.

In a recent interview with the newspaper, Hall recalled his memorable experiences in Jamaica's World Cup campaign and praised Simoes for taking the Reggae Boyz to international fame.

"I can't speak highly enough of him. He knows how to get the best out of the talent at his disposal and proved what he can do with a small football nation while in charge of Jamaica," Hall told the Royal Gazette.

The 35-year-old Hall, who has played under England's assistant manager and former international Terry Venables, credited Simoes for building his game immensely.

"During the time I worked with him, he improved my game no end and I have no hesitation in saying he's the best coach I've ever worked with, and I've worked with Terry Venables and Brian Little," said Hall, who currently plays for Walsall in the English League One competition.

More than qualified

The Brazilian's name had appeared on a Bermuda Football Association's (BFA) list of candidates for the vacant technical director's position in recent months, and Hall said Simoes was more than qualified to lift Bermuda's football.

"To be honest, I think he's probably overqualified to become technical director of Bermuda. No disrespect to Bermuda, but this man is that good and they're very lucky (if) he's interested," Hall said.

Any speculation about the immediate future of Simoes ended on Tuesday in Kingston when the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) confirmed the 54-year-old's return to fuel Jamaica's bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Ranking improved

When Simoes first arrived in Jamaica in October 1994, the Jamaicans were ranked 96th on FIFA's Coca Cola world rankings list. They moved to 39th within three years.

Hall credited Simoes with injecting the mid-1990s Jamaica squad with English-based players and achieving a marriage with the local players that was critical to the squad's success.

Deon Burton, Robbie Earle, Fitzroy Simpson, Frank Sinclair, Darryl Powell and Hall were among the key England-based players used by Simoes as he endured a torrid CONCACAF qualification series to get to France.

The methods Simoes adeptly used to unite players from many backgrounds and professional experience impressed Hall and instantly won the respect of the overseas contingent.

"Rene quickly realise the Jamaica-based players were naturally gifted, they probably lacked discipline," says Hall, who received his international call-up in 1996.

"He knew the impact the English-based players would have on the rest of the squad. We were coming from professional leagues and had a different mentality - football was our livelihoods. Rene managed to marry the two together perfectly and I think the English-based players helped the team no end.

"His man management skills are second to none. It's funny, but whenever he brought one of the English players into the squad he would gather all the players and give a speech. Whether it was Robbie Earle, Deon Burton, Frank Sinclair or whoever, he would tell you that you were with 'us' or not with 'us'. It wouldn't have mattered if he had brought in Pele, his style would have been the same," Hall said.

"He made it clear straight away that the English-based players would need to integrate themselves into the Jamaican way. He told us we would have to live like the rest of the players and not expect the big hotels we were used to in England.

"I think some of local players probably thought 'here comes all these foreigners', but they saw the way he grounded us immediately and from that point it was all hands to the pump together. He didn't mind disciplining players either, and I saw him dress down one player who went against what he wanted.

"He was undoubtedly the driving force behind us qualifying for World Cup '98 and he installed belief and expectation that we could get a result against anyone, whether the U.S. or Brazil. We expected to get something out of every game," Hall said.