The goals are starting to flow, the competition is fierce, and for Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren, it is exactly how he likes it. With the Concacaf Gold Cup on the horizon, McClaren has embraced the growing internal battles for starting spots, especially at the top end of the pitch, where Warner Brown is quickly becoming hard to ignore.

Brown, last season’s Jamaica Premier League Golden Boot winner with over 20 goals, is making a strong case to cement himself as Jamaica’s number nine. The 23-year-old striker now boasts four goals in just seven international appearances, including a clinical brace against Guatemala, the very team Jamaica will face in their Gold Cup opener on Monday.

"What I like is that we're building a squad where everybody else on the bench fits into what we're trying to do on the field. We've got Rumarn Burrell and Warner, and we've got Romario [Williams] as well as our midfield. So there's competition for places, and I think that was the message that nobody comes here and should expect to play automatically. You have to earn the right, and now they've earned the right to play. Now they've got to earn the right to stay in that shirt because the competition is behind them," McClaren said in a recent interview.

That mentality of earning, not expecting, has become a hallmark of McClaren’s regime. And Brown, a late addition to the national setup, has embraced that challenge with open arms and quick feet. Since his debut, he has brought a combination of energy, pressing intensity, and goal-scoring instinct that has added a new dimension to Jamaica’s front line.

“I think we first looked at him in the local camp, and we liked his energy, his enthusiasm, and his pace, and he runs behind, and he's always in the middle of the goal. So we brought him in, and we threw him in against St. Vincent, and he scored a great goal. And he's done the same ever since. But the work he does for the team out of possession is really integral to what we're doing at the moment," McClaren shared.

The 22-year-old's performance against Guatemala was another statement, as he scored two well-taken goals in a display that underlined why he is no longer just a prospect but a genuine contender.

"We needed energy in our number nine. Rumarn Burrell did well in the Unity Cup, but Warner came in the last game, and this one especially shows that you need a nine to be able to press with intensity. And what I like about Warner is whenever the ball's in the box, he is in the box, so he's always a threat," the former England boss declared.

But Brown is not the only one raising the bar. Midfielder Jonathan Russell has also caught the eye, impressing with his physicality and box-to-box presence since joining the squad during the Unity Cup. The 24-year-old’s ability to contribute both defensively and offensively has added much-needed steel and creativity to the middle of the park.

"Jon came in the Unity Cup and performed very well. He's a great number eight. He goes box-to-box to do his defensive duties; he is aggressive, and when he gets in the box, he can score goals. So that is also important for us," McClaren noted.

While the Gold Cup offers the immediate stage, McClaren has his sights set further on a return to the FIFA World Cup.

"The goal is the World Cup and to finish at the top of our group, and to get into pot one was a part of that objective. So that's been achieved, and now we build in the Gold Cup. It was good to see the players who came into the squad from the Unity Cup pick up on what we were trying to do. And the intensity, the sheer work rate of all the players, is key. You cannot win modern-day football without 11 players all organized, disciplined, and working damn hard," he ended.