NEW RECRUIT...New Jamaican invitee, Marlon King, goes through his paces at the National Stadium yesterday ahead of tomorrow's friendly international against Venezuela at the same venue. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)

Marlon King, the latest English-born player to join Jamaica's Reggae Boyz band, claims he is a goalscorer of no mean order.

King, who turned 24 yesterday, reportedly turned down an offer to represent the Republic of Ireland over Jamaica - the birthplace of his father and some members of his family from his mother's side.

He should get his opportunity to display his goal-scoring skills when Jamaica face Venezuela in an international friendly at 7:30 pm at the National Stadium tomorrow.

In 1999, King's performances for Third Division side, Barnet, drew attention from Manchester United boss, Alex Ferguson, as well as the Arsenal management.

"Goals... scoring goals," was how King described his strengths to reporters following his first training session with his new team-mates at the National Stadium yesterday.

The striker, who currently plies his trade with English Division One outfit, Nottingham Forrest, stands at six feet one inch and has scored six goals from 21 appearances for his club this season.

He joined Forrest last December for £950,000 from Gillingham, where he scored 15 goals in his first season, then 20 goals in 2001/02.

He was the club's leading scorer last season until a knee injury sustained against Derby on January 11 ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

It was a cruciate ligament damage in the left knee, the same injury suffered by fellow Reggae Boy, Ricardo Gardner.

"Goals are important to any team, so I hope if I do get a chance I can take my opportunity," King said, before explaining: "Yeah, I'm quick, strong, I can hold up the ball, I've got different attributes, but my main area is scoring goals. I can kick with both feet, I try to, but my main one is the right one..."

He said it was not difficult choosing Jamaica over Ireland. "It is more straight-forward playing for Jamaica as more family members come from Jamaica so it's nice representing the country.

"Well on my father's side, the whole of the family is Jamaican and on my mother's side we got a few Jamaicans as well, so it's more dominated by Jamaicans than people from Northern Ireland," he said.

King, who was among 19 players going through their paces under the guidance of technical director, Carl Brown, and coach Wendell Downswell, declared that he was a bit nervous training with the team yesterday, but figures it should be all guns blazing in the not too distant future.

"It's different, I don't know everyone yet, but they've told me to get settled in. I'm getting there, it's my first training session so it's a bit nerve-racking ... but with a few more training sessions I should be all right," he said.

A few years ago, King, then a Gillingham player, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for handling a stolen car.
He was accused of handling a stolen BMW when police checks revealed that the car had false number plates and had been stolen from the Chelsea area of London.

He pleaded not guilty, stating that he had bought the car without knowing it was stolen. The jury disagreed and found him guilty.

However, his sentence was reduced to nine months and he resumed his professional football career.

Yesterday, the squad was noticeably without striker Onandi Lowe - whose current legal problems have made him unable to travel - Jermaine Johnson and Fabian Taylor.

While these three were not invited, English-based players Damien Francis, Micah Hyde and Barry Hayles did not arrive for the game, and they are not expected to.
Those in training yesterday were Donovan Ricketts, Aaron Lawrence, Shawn Sawyers, Claude Davis, Ian Goodison, Tyrone Marshall, Craig Ziadie, Damion Stewart, Garfield Reid, Gerald Neil, Marlon King, Richard Langley, Andrew Williams, Cornel Chin-Sue, Jermaine Hue, Jonathan Williams, Fabian Davis, Ricardo Fuller and Damani Ralph.
Brown told the Observer that Omar Daley, who returned home from English Division One side Reading FC last week, will join the squad today.

Meanwhile Venezuela, who defeated Jamaica 2-0 in Caracas last April, are scheduled to arrive at about 9:30 this morning. They are then set to hold a training session at the match venue at 6:00 pm.

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