Adrian Mariappa

Adrian Joseph Mariappa (born 3 October 1986) is an English-born Jamaican professional footballer, who playes as a Defender for Championship side Bristol City.

Adrian Mariappa
Mariappa playing for Watford in 2017
Personal information
Full name Adrian Joseph Mariappa[1]
Date of birth (1986-10-03) 3 October 1986[2]
Place of birth Harrow, London, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[3][4]
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 Bristol City
Number 19
Youth career
0000–2005 Watford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2012 Watford 216 (4)
2012–2013 Reading 29 (1)
2013–2016 Crystal Palace 39 (1)
2016–2020 Watford 81 (0)
2020– Bristol City 6 (0)
National team‡
2012– Jamaica 49 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:20, 26 December 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:56, 21 November 2019 (UTC)

He progressed through Watford's youth academy, and started playing for the first team in the 2005–06 season. Although primarily a centre back, he spent some of his early professional career at right back due to competition for places in the middle. In his first spell at Watford, he made 247 first team appearances, including 19 in the Premier League. This included a run of 113 consecutive league appearances, the fourth longest streak in Watford's history. Mariappa captained Watford at under-18, reserve and first-team levels, and was the club's vice captain in his final few years at Vicarage Road. Mariappa accepted his first call up to Jamaica's international team in May 2012.[5] He won his first cap against Guyana later that month, and transferred to Premier League side Reading in July 2012. He made 29 league appearances for the club before joining Premier League side Crystal Palace in September 2013, following Reading's relegation to the Championship. Returning to Watford before the 2016–17 season, Mariappa made seven league appearances that season.

Career

Watford
Mariappa with Watford in 2011

Born in nearby Harrow, Mariappa joined Watford's youth system at the age of eight. At the age of 15 he was initially told he would be released by the club. While in the Watford academy Mariappa trained with athletics and basketball clubs to improve his sprinting and jumping techniques.[6] He captained the club's under-18 side during their FA Youth Cup quarter final against Tottenham Hotspur,[7] and later captained the reserve team.[8]

Mariappa was selected as an unused substitute in Watford's last league game of the 2004–05 season.[9] After signing his first professional contract with the club that summer,[10] Mariappa made his first team debut in a League Cup match against Notts County on 23 August 2005, playing 90 minutes in a 3–1 Watford win.[11][12] He made another cup start against Wigan Athletic in the 3rd round. During the 2005–06 season he also made three league appearances, including a clean sheet in his first league start, against Hull City on the final day of the regular season.[13] Mariappa did not play any of Watford's play-off games, but was an unused substitute in the final, in which the team won promotion to the Premier League.[14]

Watford started their 2006–07 Premier League campaign at Everton, with Mariappa starting in central defence in place of first-team regular Jay DeMerit. He was substituted at half-time, and, aside from a League Cup appearance against Accrington Stanley, did not make another first-team appearance until December 2006, when in an away match at Newcastle United he came on for the injured James Chambers at right-back. He continued in that position, playing regularly for the rest of the season.[13]

With Watford back in the Championship for 2007–08, Mariappa found himself largely on the substitute bench, making 13 league starts and 3 in other competitions, as Watford again reached the play-offs.[13] By contrast, he started 45 games in all competitions in the 2008–09 season, under the management of Aidy Boothroyd, Malky Mackay and latterly Brendan Rodgers, and scored his first senior goal for Watford in a 3–1 defeat at Wolves on 31 January 2009.[13][15] At the end of the season he signed a two-year extension to his contract.[16]

In the absence of injured captain Jay DeMerit, Mariappa skippered Watford for the first time on 12 September 2009, in a 1–0 victory at Vicarage Road against Barnsley.[17] He retained the captaincy during DeMerit's absence, and scored his second senior goal in October 2009, on his 100th professional appearance.[18] Watford finished the 2009–10 season 16th in the Championship; Mariappa was the only player to start each of the club's games in the Football League, FA Cup and League Cup.[19][20] 2010–11 followed a similar pattern to the previous campaign; Mariappa started every game for which he was available,[21] and was one of Watford's six scorers in the team's 6–1 away win against Millwall.[22] He was also appointed as the club's vice captain during the season.[21] However, Mariappa was sent off for the first time in his career on 19 March 2011, in a 2–1 defeat to Middlesbrough.[13] The resulting suspension ended Mariappa's run of 113 consecutive league appearances, the fourth highest in Watford's history.[21]

Mariappa continued to play in the 2011–12 season under new manager Sean Dyche. He was the focus of transfer speculation during the January 2012 transfer window when Watford received a number of bids for him from Premier League clubs. Three bids from Newcastle United were rejected;[23][24] an offer from Wigan Athletic was accepted, but Mariappa rejected a move.[25] He stayed at the club until the following summer, and his good form saw players and fans vote him 2011–12 Watford F.C. Player of the Season.[26]

Reading
Mariappa playing for Reading in 2013.

On 17 July 2012, it was announced that Mariappa had joined Reading on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[27] Media estimates of the transfer fee ranged from £2m to £3m.[28][29]

Crystal Palace

Mariappa signed for newly promoted Premier League club Crystal Palace on a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee on 2 September 2013.[30]

At the end of his three-year deal, it was confirmed on 13 June 2016 that he would be released by Crystal Palace on expiry of his contract.[31]

Return to Watford

On 30 August 2016, Mariappa re-joined Watford on a three-year deal after a four-year absence.[32]

Mariappa made his 250th Watford start with a Man of the Match performance against West Bromwich Albion in a 1–0 win on 3 March 2018.[33]

In April 2019 Mariappa (and Watford team-mates Troy Deeney and Christian Kabasele) were subjected to racist comments on social media.[34]

Bristol City

Following a defensive injury crisis, Mariappa signed for Bristol City on 11th November 2020.[35]

International career

Mariappa is eligible for the Fiji national team through his Fijian father.[36][37] In late 2010 he was named by the Fiji Football Association in the 50-member national training squad to prepare for the 2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia, but did not take up the place.[38]

Both of Mariappa's maternal grandparents are from Jamaica. In 2012 he accepted a call up to the Jamaica squad, for a friendly against Guyana.[5] His first match in an international competition came on 9 June 2012, in a 2–1 World Cup qualifying win against Guatemala.[39]

Personal life

Mariappa is of Fijian (paternal) and Jamaican (maternal) descent.[36][5] As of March 2019, Mariappa had been a vegan for 18 months.[6]

On May 2020 he tested positive for COVID-19.[40]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 26 December 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Watford 2005–06[41] Championship 3000200050
2006–07[42] Premier League 1905010—250
2007–08[43] Championship 25020201[lower-alpha 1]0300
2008–09[44] Championship 3913050—471
2009–10[45] Championship 4611020—491
2010–11[46] Championship 4512020—491
2011–12[47] Championship 3912010—421
Total 2164150150102474
Reading 2012–13[48] Premier League 2912010—321
2013–14[49] Championship 00—10—10
Total 2912020—331
Crystal Palace 2013–14[49] Premier League 24120——261
2014–15[50] Premier League 1202020—160
2015–16[51] Premier League 301030—70
Total 3915050—491
Watford 2016–17[52] Premier League 701000—80
2017–18[53] Premier League 2801011—301
2018–19[54] Premier League 2604020—320
2019–20[55] Premier League 2001020—230
Total 8107051—931
Bristol City 2020–21[56] Championship 600000—60
Career total 3716290271104287
  1. Appearance in Championship play-offs

International
As of match played 18 November 2019[57]
International statistics
National teamYearAppsGoals
Jamaica 201260
201390
201440
2015161
201670
201810
201960
Total491
Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first.[57]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
14 September 2015Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica Nicaragua2–32–32018 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

Watford

Crystal Palace

Jamaica

References
  1. "Premier League clubs publish 2019/20 released lists". Premier League. 26 June 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  2. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2009). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10. Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84596-474-0.
  3. "Adrian Mariappa". WatfordFC.
  4. "Profiles:Adrian Mariappa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 January 2012.
  5. Smith, Frank (14 May 2012). "Watford duo called up by Jamaica". Watford Observer. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  6. "Watford's Adrian Mariappa: 'I can't see myself going back to eating meat'". The Guardian. 14 March 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  7. "Watford Yth 0–2 Tottenham Yth". Watford F.C. 17 March 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  8. "Watford 2 Aldershot 1" Archived 15 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Watford F.C. 21 August 2007. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  9. "Profiles:Adrian Mariappa". Watford F.C. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  10. "Squad rebuilding starts" Archived 26 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Watford F.C. 5 May 2005. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  11. "Adrian Mariappa handed new Watford deal". BBC Sport. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  12. "Academy Trio's debut delight". Watford F.C. 24 August 2005. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  13. "Adrian Mariappa:All time playing career". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Archived from the original on 8 October 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  14. "Leeds 0–3 Watford". BBC Sport. 21 May 2006. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  15. "Wolves 3–1 Watford". BBC. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  16. "Mariappa deal is signed and sealed". Watford F.C. 14 May 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  17. "Watford 1–0 Barnsley". Watford F.C. 12 September 2009. Archived from the original on 27 September 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
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  19. "Watford: Player appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  20. Watford 2009–2010: Results". Statto.com. Tony Brown. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  21. "talkSPORT Transfer Spotlight: facts, stats and video of Arsenal and Newcastle target Adrian Mariappa" Archived 2 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. TalkSPORT. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
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  30. "Transfer deadline day: Adrian Mariappa signs for Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  31. "Six Players Released By Crystal Palace". cpfc.co.uk. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
  32. "Return Of The Mapps". Watford F.C. 30 August 2016. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  33. "Mariappa "Massive For Us"". Watford F.C. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  34. "Troy Deeney: Watford captain receives alleged racist abuse on social media". BBC Sport. 8 April 2019.
  35. "Bristol City sign former Watford defender on free transfer". www.bbc.co.uk. 11 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  36. "Star with Fijian roots sees red" Archived 3 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Oceania Football Confederation. 22 March 2011. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  37. "VII. Eligibility to play for association teams". FIFA. May 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  38. "English defender in national squad". The Fiji Times Online. 25 December 2010. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  39. "Jamaica: A. Mariappa". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  40. "Watford's Mariappa shocked after positive COVID-19 test". Reuters. 20 May 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
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  53. "Games played by Adrian Mariappa in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  54. "Games played by Adrian Mariappa in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
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  56. "Games played by Adrian Mariappa in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
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  59. McNulty, Phil (21 May 2016). "Crystal Palace 1–2 Manchester United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 19 May 2019.
  60. "Jamaica 1-3 Mexico". 27 July 2015 – via www.bbc.com.
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