| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Karl |
Posted - Jun 02 2006 : 05:47:33 AM
I opted to leave, King states
published: Friday | June 2, 2006
REGGAE BOY Marlon King has insisted that it was his choice to leave the Jamaican training camp just ahead of the nation's friendly football match against England at a sold out Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester tomorrow.
Official reports coming from the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) contingent in England, indicated that King, along with Jamal Campbell-Rice and Jason Euell, had been expelled from the squad for breaking the team's curfew.
While Campbell-Rice and Euell were reinstated after a subsequent appeal and being fined 50 per cent of their match fee, King was not as it was claimed he was "rude and unapologetic".
" I was never axed. I actually left the camp," King told Sky Sports News yesterday.
LOCKED OUT
"On Tuesday night, me and three other players went out because there was no curfew or anything," he said.
"We came back in about 2:00 a.m. to our rooms to find we'd been locked out. We were told we weren't allowed back in due to the fact there was a curfew set at 11.30 p.m., which is after we left at 10:00 p.m.
"We didn't think there was going to be a meeting at 11.30 p.m. That was the main reason really (they went out).
"To be told the curfew was set at 11.30 p.m. is ridiculous. We were told we couldn't go back into our rooms, so I decided to go home.
"The other players have been reinstated for whatever reason and I'm going to spend some time with my family," he said.
King went on to say his agent contacted JFF president Crenston Boxhill after the incident.
"I spoke to the JFF president and said 'If you felt disrespected in any way I apologise' I want to play for my country, if you let me know what the situation is'," King said.
"He said he'd get back to me within an hour but no phone call was received.
UNPROFESSIONAL SET-UP
"My agent rang him and he said 'call back in an hour, we're still making the decision', and the next thing I know is when the news on radio say I've been axed," he added.
King's representative, Tony Finnigan, while confirming that the player left on his own accord, also stated that he had been dissatisfied with the "unprofessional set-up" in terms of the way the camp was organised.
Despite the spat, the striker is still interested in representing Jamaica in future internationals.
"I love playing for Jamaica," King said. "If the opportunity came up, I would love to play for my country again but I've been told I've been axed unofficially."
When The Gleaner contacted national coach Wendell Downswell on Wednesday, he was unsure if the player's actions would have any bearing on his selection for future internationals.
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