Andre Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Jamaican midfielder Rohan Reid seems the perfect embodiment of the Jamaican adage, "It's never too late for a shower of blessing".

Reid raised a few skeptical eyebrows when he was called to the national senior squad earlier this year for a series of friendly internationals against Cuba. After all, he is just months away from his 31st birthday and had not figured very prominently in national teams, save for a stint with the national beach football team at the CONCACAF qualifiers for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

It was quite a stint nonetheless, with the 6'3" Arnett Gardens midfielder helping himself to eight goals in three games.

Prior to his beach football foray, Reid was also called to the senior programme by former head coach Wendell Downswell over five years ago.

Having been rewarded with a second lease on international football life following dominant displays in domestic football, the former Wadadah standout has been nothing short of a revelation to most, controlling Jamaica's midfield with absolute guile, mobility, power and vision, skills that were all on display during the Reggae Boyz recent 0-0 draw against Costa Rica inside 'The Office'.

"My performances have been good I believe but there is always room for improvement, so I know that I have to keep working hard for the betterment of my country and also my career," said Reid after last Wednesday's game.

As impressed as fans have become with his ability, it wasn't not always the case, with many questioning the reasoning behind his invitation at this stage of his career; hardly a point of interest for the articulate midfielder.

"I am not here to answer critics, I am just here to do my best for my country. You will always find a lot of people talking all kind of things but that is spectators and that is their job," Reid said.

"My job is to go out on the field and do the job that is required and make my country, my family and my friends proud."

Seeping with confidence and with the FIFA World Cup qualifiers now in clear sight, Reid is hoping to brush aside the external doubt and carve for himself a place in coach Theodore Whitmore's Rio 2016 blueprint.

"Being a part of the World Cup campaign is definitely the aim," said Reid.

"I want to be a part of the team going forward to the qualifiers and beyond, so I know I have to do my best and I hope that will prove to be good enough."

With no clear favourite for a role in Jamaica's central midfield, Reid has so far done little to harm his chances of commanding the handle of the Reggae Boyz engine room when the FIFA World Cup campaign kicks into high gear later this year.