Joshua Grant Named in Jamaica Squad for Unity Cup

Joshua Grant, the teenager learning his trade in USL League One with FC Naples, is about to step onto a much bigger stage.

The 18-year-old goalkeeper has been named in Jamaica’s squad for the Unity Cup in London, England, a call-up that hands him a real shot at his first senior international cap as the Reggae Boyz open the four-team tournament against India. Nigeria and Zimbabwe complete a competitive field, but for Grant, the story starts with simply pulling on that senior shirt for the first time.

He arrives in camp on a surge of confidence. On Saturday, Grant produced his first professional shutout, making two saves in Naples’ 1-0 win over Westchester SC at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. It was only his second league appearance of the season as understudy to established No. 1 Lalo Delgado, yet he has already posted a -0.32 Goals Prevented mark — a tidy return for a young backup still learning the rhythms of senior football.

His impact hasn’t been limited to league play. On May 17, in the Prinx Tires USL Cup, Grant helped Naples edge Sporting Club Jacksonville in a penalty shootout, delivering the decisive save in the fourth round. One stop, one moment, and suddenly a young keeper’s season looks very different.

Now comes the reward.

“It’s a huge deal,” Grant said of the call-up. “My senior national team, playing with guys who are way older than me and captaining my under-20 team. The momentum is great. I love it here in Naples, and I love my country. Both of them, it’s an amazing feeling.”

That blend of club and country pride runs through this Jamaica squad. Alongside Grant, another fresh face steps into the senior picture: Nicholas Simmonds, the former Richmond Kickers Academy standout who now plies his trade with FC Dallas. Simmonds also earns his first senior Jamaica call, underlining the federation’s willingness to lean into its next generation.

For Grant, a Lauderhill, Florida native with deep Jamaican roots, the Unity Cup offers more than just minutes. It is a chance to test himself against international forwards, to feel the weight of expectation, to hear the anthem from the tunnel instead of the couch. One month ago he was a promising backup chasing opportunities in Naples. Now he walks into London as a Reggae Boy, with the gloves and the stage to match.