Adrian Mariappa, a Reggae Boyz defender, has joined Macarthur Bulls, an Australian club. He is looking forward to next season when he’ll get a chance to participate in the A-League. The move comes six months after the Jamaican international was released by Bristol City, the English Championship club. He has made over 150 Premier League performances for clubs in the United Kingdom, including Bristol City, Reading, Crystal Palace and Watford.
Mariappa, who was born in the United Kingdom but has Jamaican maternal grandparents, made his Jamaica debut in 2012 and has since made 57 performances for his home team, which he led seven times. The veteran defender, 35, expressed his delight at joining the Bulls. He is happy to be playing for the first time in the A-League. He said that he wished to thank the owners and football workforce for believing in him. When the chance to join the Bulls presented itself, he could not pass it up. It was an exciting new challenge for him, and that is what he thrives on.
He is equally eager to accomplish great things with the team and make lasting experiences with the fans and the players. Ante Milicic, the club’s head coach, expressed his delight at securing a player of Mariappa’s caliber and expertise.
Although Mariappa has never played in the A-League before, he is confident he will adapt seamlessly, given that he has had a fantastic career. Ante went on to say that he was excited to see Adrian settle in well with the rest of the team. They hope he can help the team win throughout the 2021/22 Isuzu UTE A-League Period. Macarthur FC is currently ranked fourth, having won one and drawn in one of their two matches up to this point. The 35-year-old defender had been without a club since being released by English Championship club Bristol City in May this year. However, he has continued to play well for his country’s national team, appearing in six games.
He has been connected with a return to England with Sheffield Wednesday, coached by Darren Moore, another former Jamaica international. The club apparently offered the out-of-contract defender a contract, but he chose to join Super League after all.
Mariappa, for one, insists he is ecstatic and looking forward to the new challenge. Through his Fijian father, he is eligible for the Fiji national team. The Fiji Football Association named him to the 50-man national training squad in late 2010 to prepare for the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia, but he did not accept the position.
Mariappa’s maternal grandparents are both from Jamaica. He accepted a call-up to the Jamaica national team in 2012 for a friendly match against Guyana. On June 9, 2012, he made his international debut in a 2–1 World Cup qualifying win over Guatemala. Following a counter attacking injury crisis, Bristol City signed him on a short-term contract on November 11, 2020. He was then released by the club on May 14, 2021, when his contract ended.
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