Adrian Mariappa
Adrian Mariappa | |
|---|---|
| Born | Adrian Joseph Mariappa October 3, 1986 Harrow, England |
| Occupation(s) | Professional footballer, assistant coach |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Known for | Football defender, Jamaica national team player, Watford under-21 assistant coach |
Adrian Joseph Mariappa (born 3 October 1986) is a professional football defender. Although born in England, he represents the Jamaica national team and currently holds the position of assistant coach for Watford's under-21 squad.
Having progressed through Watford's youth ranks, Mariappa made his first-team debut during the 2005–06 campaign. Mainly deployed as a centre-back, he occasionally featured at right back early on due to squad competition. Across his initial tenure at Watford, he accumulated 248 appearances in all competitions, including 19 Premier League matches, and achieved a remarkable streak of 114 consecutive league games—ranking among the longest in the club’s history. He captained Watford’s under-18s, reserves, and senior team, also serving as vice-captain in his later years at Vicarage Road.
Mariappa received his inaugural call-up to Jamaica’s national squad in May 2012 and made his international debut against Guyana later that month. In July 2012, he transferred to Premier League side Reading, where he featured in 29 league games before joining Crystal Palace in September 2013 following Reading’s relegation. He returned to Watford ahead of the 2016–17 season and made seven league appearances during that period.
Watford
Born in Harrow, Mariappa entered Watford’s academy at age eight. Initially facing the prospect of release at 15, he enhanced his athletic abilities through sprinting and jumping alongside his football development. He captained both the under-18 and reserve sides at Watford.
During the closing stages of the 2004–05 season, Mariappa was named as an unused substitute for Watford’s final league fixture and subsequently signed his first professional contract that summer. His senior debut came on 23 August 2005 in a League Cup match versus Notts County, where he completed the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 victory. Throughout the 2005–06 season, he made three league appearances, keeping a clean sheet on his first league start against Hull City. Although he did not feature during the play-offs, he was included on the bench for the Championship play-off final, which saw Watford promoted to the Premier League.
In Watford’s 2006–07 Premier League campaign, Mariappa began as a central defender but initially had limited opportunities until December when he secured a regular spot at right back. Returning to the Championship for the 2007–08 season, he made 13 league starts as Watford again reached the play-offs. The subsequent season saw him start 45 matches under managers Aidy Boothroyd, Malky Mackay, and Brendan Rodgers; he scored his first senior goal in January 2009 against Wolves and earned a two-year contract extension.
With captain Jay DeMerit sidelined by injury, Mariappa assumed the captaincy for the first time in September 2009 and maintained this role during DeMerit’s absence. He netted his second senior goal on his 100th professional appearance in October of that year. Watford concluded that season in 16th place in the Championship; notably, Mariappa was the only player to start every match across all competitions. The following season (2010–11), he continued as a regular starter, scored during an emphatic 6–1 victory over Millwall, and was appointed vice-captain. His first career red card came in March 2011, ending a sequence of 113 consecutive league appearances—the fourth-longest streak in club history.
Under Sean Dyche’s management in 2011–12, Mariappa attracted interest from Premier League clubs. Watford rejected three transfer bids from Newcastle United. Although an offer from Wigan Athletic was accepted by Watford, Mariappa chose to decline it. Remaining at Watford, he was honored as their Player of the Season for 2011–12.
Reading
On 17 July 2012, Mariappa completed a transfer to Reading, agreeing to a three-year contract. The transfer fee was undisclosed, though media sources estimated it to be between £2 million and £3 million.
Crystal Palace
Mariappa secured a three-year deal with Premier League outfit Crystal Palace on 2 September 2013, with the transfer fee kept confidential. He remained with the club until his contract concluded, leading to his release on 13 June 2016.
Return to Watford
After a four-year absence, Mariappa returned to Watford on 30 August 2016, signing a three-year agreement. On 3 March 2018, he marked his 250th start for Watford in a 1–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion, where he was also awarded Man of the Match.
Bristol City
Facing a shortage in defensive options, Bristol City brought Mariappa on board with a short-term contract on 11 November 2020. His tenure concluded when he was released at the end of his deal on 14 May 2021.
Macarthur FC
Mariappa joined A-League Men side Macarthur FC on 29 November 2021. He made his debut on 11 December 2021 during a 2-0 triumph against Western Sydney Wanderers, becoming the first Jamaican player to feature in Australia's national league.
Burton Albion
On 7 October 2022, Mariappa returned to English football by signing a short-term contract with League One club Burton Albion. His association with the club ended when his contract expired on 18 January 2023.
Salford City
Mariappa signed a short-term deal with EFL League Two team Salford City on 23 March 2023, lasting until the season's conclusion. He extended his stay by one year on 10 July 2023 but was later announced for release following contract expiration on 21 May 2024.
Wealdstone
On 27 June 2024, Mariappa joined National League side Wealdstone and was appointed team captain. He departed from the club on 23 June 2025.
International career
Eligible to represent Fiji through his father’s heritage, Mariappa was included in Fiji’s initial training squad of 50 players for the 2011 Pacific Games but did not participate. With both maternal grandparents hailing from Jamaica, he accepted an invitation in 2012 to join the Jamaica national football team for a friendly against Guyana. His first competitive international appearance came during a World Cup qualifying match where Jamaica defeated Guatemala 2–1 on 9 June 2012.
Coaching career
In August 2025, Mariappa rejoined Watford to take up the role of assistant coach for the under-21 team.
Personal life
Mariappa descends from Fijian heritage on his father's side and Jamaican roots maternally. By March 2019, he had embraced a vegan diet.
Club
International
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Watford | 2005–06 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2007–08 | Championship | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | Championship | 39 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 47 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10 | Championship | 46 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2010–11 | Championship | 45 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12 | Championship | 39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 42 | 1 | ||
| Total | 216 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 247 | 4 | ||
| Reading | 2012–13 | Premier League | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | Championship | 0 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Crystal Palace | 2013–14 | Premier League | 24 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16 | Premier League | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| Total | 39 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 49 | 1 | |||
| Watford | 2016–17 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | Premier League | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | Premier League | 26 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Premier League | 20 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 23 | 0 | ||
| Total | 81 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 93 | 1 | |||
| Bristol City | 2020–21 | Championship | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=4 style="text-align:center;" rowspan=1 | 27 | = | |||
| National squad | Year | Appearances | Goals scored |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| Overall | 64 | 1 | |
- The scorelines present Jamaica's goals first.
| No. | Date | Location | Opponent | Scoreline | Outcome | Tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2015 | Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica | Template:Fb | 2–3 | Loss (2–3) | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers |
Honours
Watford
- Winner of the Football League Championship play-offs: 2006
- FA Cup finalist: 2018–19 FA Cup
Crystal Palace
- FA Cup finalist: 2015–16 FA Cup
Jamaica
- Runner-up in the CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup
Individual Achievements
- Awarded Watford F.C. Player of the Season for the 2011–12 Watford F.C. season
- Selected for the A-Leagues All Stars Game squad: 2022 A-Leagues All Stars Game
External links
- Adrian Mariappa profile – Crystal Palace F.C.
- Adrian Mariappa profile – Jamaica Football Federation
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1986 births
- Living people
- Footballers from the London Borough of Harrow
- Jamaican men's footballers
- Jamaica men's international footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- Watford F.C. players
- Reading F.C. players
- Crystal Palace F.C. players
- Bristol City F.C. players
- Macarthur FC players
- Burton Albion F.C. players
- Premier League players
- English Football League players
- A-League Men players
- A-League Men All-Stars
- Black British sportsmen
- English people of Jamaican descent
- Sportspeople of Jamaican descent
- English people of Indo-Fijian descent
- 2015 Copa América players
- 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- Copa América Centenario players
- 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- English expatriate men's footballers
- Jamaican expatriate men's footballers