Alex Thomas takes Dunbeholden helm on three-year deal with focus on youth and top-six push

Alex Thomas has taken charge at Dunbeholden FC and says he will work hand in hand with the club's leadership to help the St Catherine side realise its ambitions in the upcoming Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season.

The 43-year-old, who spent last season as assistant coach at Waterhouse FC, has agreed a three-year contract with Dunbeholden and succeeds Byjeon Thomas in the top job.

Thomas brings experience from previous head-coaching roles at Arnett Gardens, Humble Lion, and Molynes United. He also had a strong run with Slingerz FC in Guyana, where he took the club to second place and went unbeaten throughout the 2024 campaign.

Speaking on his appointment, Thomas said the timing feels right for the next step in his coaching career.

"I am feeling very elated going to Dunbeholden because this should have been done like two years ago, but nothing beats time. It is a new journey and it is a new club and so I am looking forward to great things there," he said.

"I am ready for the challenge and I am looking forward to working with everyone to help the club become successful in the Jamaica Premier League."

Thomas said Dunbeholden's long-term direction will lean on grooming young players while assembling a squad strong enough to compete for silverware.

"The plan is to build a competitive team to challenge for the top six in the Jamaica Premier League. It is a three-year plan to build the youngsters and to blood them for the future," he explained.

Dunbeholden struggled in the 2025-26 season, ending ninth in the table on 48 points and falling short of the playoffs.

Even so, Thomas believes the club is well placed to rebound and deliver a far stronger showing next term.

"We definitely want to do much better than we did last season, so I am very committed to the task and, with all hands on deck, we can definitely achieve our goals because the aim is to reach the Concacaf Championships," he said.

"We have good players here but you always want new players to come in and bolster the squad with a different mindset to achieve our objectives. We always want to bring in the best young players to blend with the experienced ones that we have here because, as you know, the youths are the future."