Marlon King

Marlon Francis King (born 26 April 1980 in Dulwich, Greater London) is an England-born Jamaican professional football (soccer) player. He plays as a striker for Wigan Athletic F.C. and the Jamaica national football team. For the Premier_League_2008–09 he will play on-loan at Hull City A.F.C..

After starting his career in non-league football he moved to Barnet F.C., Gillingham F.C. and Nottingham Forest F.C., and later Watford F.C., whilst also spending a loan spell at Leeds United A.F.C..

Club career

Early career

King started his career at Dulwich Hamlet F.C., before becoming an apprentice at Barnet F.C.. After making sixty first-team appearances for the London club he moved to Gillingham F.C. in 2000. Although the club intended him to be a back-up to established striker Carl Asaba, injuries to key players saw them thrust into the starting line-up, where he quickly established himself as the club's main striker.

His career was nearly derailed in 2002 when he was given an eighteen month prison sentence for handling a stolen car. After an appeal, the sentence was reduced to five months and King returned to Gillingham's team within two days of his release. One of the highlights of his Gillingham career was his strike against Chelsea F.C. at Stamford Bridge (stadium) in the FA Cup in 2002-03 in English football.

Nottingham Forest

King left Priestfield to join Nottingham Forest F.C. in 2003. He scored 15 goals in 57 games, but was loan (football) to Leeds United A.F.C. in March 2005 for the remainder of the season. He struggled to win over the fans at Nottingham Forest, before netting a spectacular winning goal in an emotional match against West Ham United F.C., the first after Brian Clough's death. At first King refused to celebrate, but finally punched the air and kissed the badge, much to the fans' delight.

Watford

In the summer of 2005 King was loaned to Watford F.C. for six months, with an option to buy in the January transfer window. He impressed at the Hertfordshire club, scoring 12 goals in 21 games as Watford featured in the upper-reaches of the table.

The transfer was completed for £500,000 in January, and King went on to finish top scorer in the Football League Championship in 2005-06 in English football with 21 goals. Watford finished third, with King scoring in the 3–0 semi-final first leg win over Crystal Palace F.C.. He played in the second leg, and in the final against Leeds United, which Watford won 3–0 to win promotion to the Premier League. King was named the club's player of the season.

He scored his debut Premier League goal against West Ham United F.C. in the second game of the new season. His second Premiership goal, the first in 3-3 draw with Fulham F.C. on 2 October 2006 marked his 100th goal in domestic competition. In the following game, away at Arsenal F.C., he sustained a knee injury which kept him out of the next three games. During his return to fitness he suffered a relapse, and in an exploratory operation it was discovered that some bone had flaked away from his femur. The injury kept him out of action for six months, and he did not return until 14 April 2007 when he came on a substitute in the 4–1 FA Cup semi–final loss to Manchester United F.C. at Villa Park. He scored in the final two games of the season, away at Reading F.C. and at home to Newcastle United F.C. to bring his season tally to four.

Watford were relegated and returned to the Championship for the 2007-08 in English football season. With Watford topping the table for much of the first half of the season, King scored ten goals before the end of 2007, including five in successive games in October.

Wigan Athletic

On 25 January 2008, it was announced that King had moved to Wigan for an undisclosed fee on a three and a half year contract. The next day Watford chairman, Graham Simpson (businessman), said on the BBC Three Counties Radio that King had left for a fee of £3million rising to £4million, dependent on appearances and Wigan keeping their Premiership status. He added that King would be doubling his wages to £40,000. King scored his first goal for Wigan against Blackburn Rovers F.C. on 22 March 2008.

Hull City

On August 13 2008, Hull City F.C., who had earlier failed in a bid to sign the player, agreed a deal to sign him on a loan basis.

International career

King played for Jamaica national football team in the friendly against Ghana national football team on May 29 2006 which they lost 4-1. He would also have been in the squad to face England national football team in a friendly on 3 June 2006, but was sent home for an alleged breach of discipline. Jamaica national football team lost the match 6–0.
King was sent home from Jamaica squad 4 November 2006 As a result of the incident, the Jamaican Football Federation banned King from international football until May 2008. When Captain Horace Burrell returned as the JFF president he lifted the ban. King played in Jamaica's 1–1 draw with Costa Rica national football team in February 2008, where he provided the cross for Jamaica's goal. King also played for Jamaica in the friendly vs Trinidad and Tobago where he scored a goal and captained the team in the absence of Ricardo Gardener due to injury.