Reggae Boy Mariappa leaves Australia to join Britain’s Burton
LONDON, England (CMC) — Reggae Boy Adrian Mariappa has left down under to join English League One strugglers Burton Albion on a short-term deal.
The 36-year-old Jamaica defender, who has previously played in the English Premier League, returns to the UK after leaving Australian club Macarthur, where he made 19 A-League appearances.
London-born Mariappa, who made his debut for the Reggae Boyz in 2012, moved abroad in December 2021 after ending a short spell with Bristol City, where he played 27 games.
“He brings a lot of good experience,” said Burton boss Dino Maamria. “He’s a good talker on the field and he adds another option for us.”
Added Mariappa: “I’m looking forward to getting started and to helping the team push up the table.”
Mariappa made more than 300 appearances for Watford over two spells and played for the Hornets, as well as Reading and Crystal Palace, in the Premier League.
Burton’s two league wins this season have come under Maamria, who replaced Suriname-born Jimmy Flloyd Hasselbaink as boss at Pirelli Stadium on September 5.