Barnes appointed Jamaican national coach

(CNN) -- Former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes has been named as the new coach of the Jamaican national side.

Barnes' appointment followed the sacking of Brazilian Rene Simoes as the Jamaica Football Federation's technical director last week after the national side lost two World Cup qualifiers in four days, against Mexico and Honduras.

Barnes, born in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, is due to take up his new role in November after signing a one-year contract.

It will be the 44-year-old's first management post since a brief and ill-fated spell as manager of Scottish giants Celtic in 1999/2000.

Barnes lived in Jamaica until he was a teenager when his father, who was in the armed forces, got posted to England.

He made his name in English football at Watford, under future England manager Graham Taylor, before signing for Liverpool, where he won two league titles. His playing career ended with spells at Newcastle and Charlton.

Jamaica's two recent defeats have left the 'Reggae Boyz', who qualified for the 1998 World Cup in France, bottom of the four-team CONCACAF Group Two and struggling to reach the World Cup in South Africa in two years' time.

"This was an opportunity for me to get back into football at a coaching level, which I love doing," said Barnes. "Managing Jamaica is not the same as managing England. But football is football, you've got to motivate your players, you've got to get them organised and to try and win football matches."