Shaniel Thomas

Shaniel Thomas

Thomas at an interview in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Shaniel Malik Michel Thomas
Date of birth	(2001-09-14) September 14, 2001 (age 23)
Place of birth	Jamaica
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Montego Bay United
Number	17
Youth career
	Jamaica College
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2024	Cavalier	64	(15)
2024–	Montego Bay United	25	(10)
International career‡
2023–	Jamaica	3	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03 March 2025

Shaniel Thomas (born 14 September 2001) is a Jamaican footballer who plays as a forward for Montego Bay United and the Jamaica national football team. ^[1]

Career

Schoolboy career

Thomas attended traditional all-boys high school Jamaica College where he began his footballing journey playing at the schoolboy level in the Manning Cup. ^[2] Thomas helped the school to their fifth consecutive Manning Cup title in 2017, scoring a goal in the finals. ^{[3] [4]}

Club career

Cavalier

Thomas made his Jamaica Premier League debut with Cavalier in the 2018–19 season. He won the league with the club in 2021 and 2023–24 seasons.

Thomas bagged the first hat-trick of his career and the first in CONCACAF Caribbean Cup history in Cavalier's 3–0 win over Moca of the Dominican Republic, in the group stage of the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup. ^{[5] [6]} Thomas scored a hat-trick again in the following fixture versus Golden Lion of Martinique, setting another historic milestone as the first and only player to have ever scored back-to-back hat-tricks in the competition. ^{[7] [8] [9]} Thomas ended the tournament as top goal scorer with 8 goals. ^[10] Thomas was praised by head coach, Rudolph Speid, for his performance in the competition. ^[11]

After five seasons with Cavalier, Thomas announced his departure from the club after winning the league in 2024. At the title celebrations he was quoted, "I expect this will be my last season with the team and I am happy I won the title in my last season. So it’s a good farewell.” ^[12]

Montego Bay United

Thomas was unveiled as a Montego Bay United player prior to the start of the 2024–25 season. In an interview with local media Thomas was confident he made the right decision to make the move to Jamaica's second city, “My contract was going to be up, and I just felt like I wanted a new challenge. From under-15 and high school I have been creating waves and winning trophies. So I felt like I’ve done it all in Kingston and just wanted to conquer the next city." ^[13]

International career

As a reward of for his impressive form at the 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, Thomas earned his first call-up to the Jamaica national team to face Guatemala in an international friendly at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. ^[14] Thomas came on as a substitute replacing Tyreek Magee in the 83rd minute. ^{[15] [16]}

Honors

Club

Cavalier

• Jamaica Premier League: 2021, ^[17] 2023–24 ^[18]

Individual

• 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup Golden Boot ^[19]
• 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup Best XI ^[20]
• 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup Semifinal Best XI ^[21]
• 2023 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup Group Stage Best XI ^[22]

References

1. "Shaniel Thomas - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
2. "JC in quarter-finals after fixture confusion". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2017-10-19. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
3. "Coley hails special Manning Cup title". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2017-12-03. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
4. "JC rule again". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2017-12-10. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
5. "Hats off to Thomas as Cavalier motor past Moca". Concacaf. 2023-09-16. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
6. "Shaniel Thomas begins to deliver on promise". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
7. "Thomas scores hat-trick in big Cavalier win". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
8. Desk, Sports. "Cavalier's Thomas grabs second hat-trick; combines with Calvin in 5-2 win over Martinique's Golden Lion". www.sportsmax.tv. Retrieved 2023-12-30.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
9. "2023 Caribbean Cup Game-Changer: Shaniel Thomas of Cavalier". Concacaf. 2023-10-20. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
10. "Cavalier fall to Suriname's Robinhood in Caribbean Cup final | Loop Jamaica". Loop News. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
11. "Speid bellows praise on Thomas, Calvin". jamaica-star.com. 2023-10-09. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
12. "'A good farewell'". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
13. "Right call". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2024-11-25. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
14. "In-form striker Thomas earns first national call-up". jamaica-star.com. 2023-11-09. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
15. "Guatemala vs. Jamaica - 12 November 2023 - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
16. "New Boyz Thomas, Bradford revel in recent experience". Jamaica Observer. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
17. "JPL | Cavalier are JPL champions!". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2021-10-02. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
18. "'A good farewell'". jamaica-gleaner.com. 2024-05-27. Retrieved 2025-03-03.
19. Roberts, Nia (2023-12-08). "Shaniel Thomas wins Golden Boot for Concacaf Caribbean Cup 2023 - Writeups 24" . Retrieved 2023-12-30.
20. "Cairo, Thomas, Adipi star in Caribbean Cup Best XI". Concacaf. 2023-12-08. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
21. "Adipi, Calvin lead way in Caribbean Cup semifinal Best XI". Concacaf. 2023-11-03. Retrieved 2023-12-30.
22. Cowan, Sherdon. "Thomas, Cairo headline Caribbean Cup group stage Best XI". www.sportsmax.tv. Retrieved 2023-12-30.

External links

• Shaniel Thomas at Soccerway