About this person
Adrian Joseph Mariappa is an English footballer of Jamaican descent who plays in defence. During his career, he has played for numerous English clubs and represented Jamaica. He currently plays for St Albans City while also working as an assistant coach for Watford’s under-21 team.
He was born in Harrow, London, on 3 October 1986. He joined Watford’s youth system at the age of eight, and at fifteen the club initially told him that he would not be retained. Alongside football at the academy, he trained with athletics and basketball clubs to improve his sprinting and jumping. He signed his first professional contract with Watford in 2005 and made his debut in a cup match against Notts County that August.
At Watford, he played most often as a centre-back, although at the beginning of his professional career he also played at right-back. He made 248 first-team appearances during his first spell with the club, including nineteen in the Premier League, and played in a run of 114 consecutive league matches. He captained Watford’s under-18 side, reserve team and first team and won the club’s Player of the Season award in 2011–12.
In 2012, he accepted an invitation to represent Jamaica and made his debut against Guyana. He made 73 international appearances and helped the team finish as runner-up in the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup. His club career also included spells with Reading, Crystal Palace, Bristol City, Macarthur FC, Burton Albion, Salford City and Wealdstone. He has been vegan since March 2019.