Joshua Grant: Rising FC Naples Goalkeeper Receives Jamaica Call-Up

Joshua Grant’s rise has moved from quiet promise to the edge of the international stage.

The 18-year-old FC Naples goalkeeper has been called into Jamaica’s squad for the upcoming Unity Cup in London, England, a selection that could deliver his first senior cap as the Reggae Boyz open the four-team tournament against India. Nigeria and Zimbabwe complete a field that offers a sharp early test of Jamaica’s next wave.

Grant is not going alone. The squad also includes another fresh face in Nicholas Simmonds, the former Richmond Kickers Academy prospect now with FC Dallas, who earns his first senior Jamaica call-up. It is an experimental group, but not a casual one; it is a look at what comes next.

Grant’s timing could hardly be better. On Saturday, he posted his first professional shutout in USL League One, making two saves in Naples’ 1-0 win over Westchester SC at the Paradise Coast Sports Complex. He has appeared twice in league play this season as understudy to Lalo Delgado, yet has already put up a -0.32 Goals Prevented mark, a number that underlines how much he has done with limited minutes.

His impact has stretched beyond the league as well. On May 17, in the Prinx Tires USL Cup against Sporting Club Jacksonville, Grant helped Naples advance in a penalty shootout, delivering the decisive save in the fourth round. For a teenager, those are not routine moments; they are accelerants.

“It’s a huge deal,” Grant said of his 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.”

Born in Lauderhill, Fla., Grant now stands at the intersection of club and country, juggling life as a back-up in Naples with the chance to break into a Jamaica squad that has never been shy about trusting young talent when it earns its place. The Unity Cup will not decide his future, but it will show how quickly he can grow when the lights are brighter and the margin for error shrinks.

For an 18-year-old goalkeeper, London is no longer just a destination. It is a proving ground.