 Mariappa playing forWatford in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adrian Joseph Mariappa[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1986-10-03)3 October 1986 (age 38)[2] | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Harrow,London, England | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)[3][4] | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||||||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||||||
Current team | Wealdstone | ||||||||||||||||
| Number | 19 | ||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||
| –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) | ||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Bristol City | 25 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Macarthur FC | 19 | (3) | ||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Burton Albion | 8 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Salford City | 25 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Wealdstone | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||
| 2012– | Jamaica | 72 | (1) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 August 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 July 2024 | |||||||||||||||||
Adrian Joseph Mariappa (born 3 October 1986) is a professionalfootballer who plays as adefender forNational League clubWealdstone. Born in England, he represents theJamaica national team.
He progressed through Watford's youth academy and started playing for the first team in the2005–06 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 248 first-team appearances, including 19 in thePremier League. This included a run of 114 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 atVicarage Road.
Mariappa accepted his first call-up toJamaica's international team in May 2012.[5] He won his first cap againstGuyana later that month, and transferred toPremier League sideReading 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 theChampionship. Returning to Watford before the 2016–17 season, Mariappa made seven league appearances that season.
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Born inHarrow, 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 theirFA Youth Cup quarter-final againstTottenham Hotspur,[7] and later captained the reserve team.[8]
Mariappa was selected as an unused substitute in Watford's last league game of the2004–05 season.[9] After signing his first professional contract with the club that summer,[10] Mariappa made his first team debut in aLeague Cup match againstNotts County on 23 August 2005, playing 90 minutes in a 3–1 Watford win.[11][12] He made another cup start againstWigan Athletic in the 3rd round. During the2005–06 season he also made three league appearances, including a clean sheet in his first league start, againstHull 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 thefinal, in which the team won promotion to thePremier League.[14]
Watford started their2006–07 Premier League campaign atEverton, with Mariappa starting in central defence in place of first-team regularJay DeMerit. He was substituted at half-time, and, aside from a League Cup appearance againstAccrington Stanley, did not make another first-team appearance until December 2006, when in an away match atNewcastle United he came on for the injuredJames Chambers at right-back. He continued in that position, playing regularly for the rest of the season.[13]
With Watford back in the Championship for2007–08, 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 the2008–09 season, under the management ofAidy Boothroyd,Malky Mackay and latterlyBrendan Rodgers, and scored his first senior goal for Watford in a 3–1 defeat atWolves 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 captainJay DeMerit, Mariappa skippered Watford for the first time on 12 September 2009, in a 1–0 victory atVicarage Road againstBarnsley.[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 the2009–10 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 the2011–12 season under new managerSean 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 fromNewcastle United were rejected;[23][24] an offer fromWigan 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 2011–12Watford Player of the Season.[26]
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On 17 July 2012, it was announced that Mariappa had joinedReading on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[27] Media estimates of the transfer fee ranged from £2m to £3m.[28][29]
Mariappa signed for newly promoted Premier League clubCrystal 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]
On 30 August 2016, Mariappa re-joinedWatford on a three-year deal after a four-year absence.[32] He made his 250th Watford start againstWest Bromwich Albion in a 1–0 win on 3 March 2018, winning Man of the Match for his performance.[33]
Following a defensive injury crisis, on 11 November 2020 Bristol City signed Mariappa on a short term deal.[34] On 14 May 2021 he was released by the club at the end of his contract.[35]
On 29 November 2021,A-League Men sideMacarthur FC announced that they had signed Mariappa.[36] He made his debut against Western Sydney Wanderers on 11 December 2021 in a 0-2 win as the first Jamaican player to play in the Australian national league.
On 7 October 2022, he returned to England to sign a short term deal with League One sideBurton Albion.[37]
On 18 January 2023, Mariappa left the club after his short-term deal expired.[38]
On 23 March 2023, Mariappa signed forEFL League Two clubSalford City on a short-term contract until the end of the season.[39] On 10 July 2023, Mariappa signed a new one-year contract.[40] On 21 May 2024, the club announced he would be released when the contract expired.[41]
On 27 June 2024, Mariappa agreed to sign forNational League sideWealdstone.[42]
Mariappa is eligible for theFiji national team through hisFijian father.[43][44] In late 2010 he was named by theFiji Football Association in the 50-member national training squad to prepare for the2011 Pacific Games in New Caledonia, but did not take up the place.[45]
Both of Mariappa's maternal grandparents are from Jamaica. In 2012 he accepted a call up to theJamaica 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.[46]
Mariappa is of Fijian (paternal) and Jamaican (maternal) descent.[43][5] As of March 2019,[update] Mariappa had been avegan.[6]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Watford | 2005–06[47] | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2006–07[48] | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08[49] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2008–09[50] | Championship | 39 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 47 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10[51] | Championship | 46 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11[52] | Championship | 45 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12[53] | Championship | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 1 | ||
| Total | 216 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 247 | 4 | ||
| Reading | 2012–13[54] | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| 2013–14[55] | Championship | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Crystal Palace | 2013–14[55] | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15[56] | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16[57] | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | |||
| Watford | 2016–17[58] | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017–18[59] | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19[60] | Premier League | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[61] | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 81 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 93 | 1 | |||
| Bristol City | 2020–21[62] | Championship | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 27 | 0 | |
| Macarthur FC | 2021–22 | A-League Men | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 3 | ||
| Burton Albion | 2022–23[63] | League One | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[b] | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Salford City | 2022–23[63] | League Two | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career total | 421 | 10 | 33 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 484 | 11 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | 2012 | 6 | 0 |
| 2013 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 64 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2015 | Independence Park,Kingston, Jamaica |  Nicaragua | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Watford
Crystal Palace
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