LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter

Marlon King - Photo by LeVaughn Flynn

AT MONDAY night's practice session at the National Stadium, Marlon King showed no signs of the frustration he expressed a year ago after he was banned from playing for Jamaica. With a calm smile and a twinkle in his eye, King said bygones are bygones.

"(René) Simoes and Captain (Horace) Burrell have expressed wanting me to be here and they bring with them a wealth of experience and it's good times. So, all that stuff is behind me now," said King after completing a training session with the Reggae Boyz for tonight's friendly against Costa Rica.

The Jamaican striker, who signed with English Premier League side Wigan Athletic on January 25 from Championship team Watford, last played for Jamaica on May 29, 2006 in a 4-1 loss to Ghana.

He was also scheduled to feature in the historic match against England five days later, during the hyped-up England tour, but was expelled from the camp by then Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Crenston Boxhill for allegedly breaching team rules and being disrespectful.

Jamaica's world ranking

Declining to dwell on the past, King said he was simply happy to be back and seemed more concerned with Jamaica's world ranking.

"Jamaica, football-wise, should not be in the state that it is in now. To be ranked 98th in the world is not acceptable. Jamaica has got players that are capable and are playing at the top level, so there is no reason why we should be ranked 98th in the world," King argued.

The 27-year-old has long been a target of several premiership clubs after leading Watford to the top for the 2006-07 season. He scored 22 goals on the way to the premiership but didn't get the chance to enjoy the fruits of his labour as he missed most of the season with a knee injury.

Back in the English Championship with Watford for the 2007-08 season, a healthy King returned to his goal-scoring exploits and netted 11 goals in the first half of the season, thus gaining the attention of several premiership clubs looking for a signee before the transfer window closed.

King looked all set to join struggling Fulham, but that deal fell through, making way for Wigan.

"It took a lot for me to walk away from Watford knowing they are second in the league and have got a good chance of getting promoted, but when an opportunity comes up you have to grab it," said King. "The last time I was in the premiership I got injured (so that fuelled me to return).

"You worked so hard to gain promotion to the premiership and then it's all taken away from you so, naturally, when the opportunity came up I spoke to the boss (Aidy Boothroyd) and he respected my decision.."

Fitness question

It once seemed Watford selling King was unthinkable when Boothroyd declared last year that any club interested in his payer would have to pay £60 million.

"It was more he didn't want to let me go because he thought it would hinder our chances of getting promoted and £60 million is what you get when you are promoted," explained King.

With two games for his new club so far, King said he is now focusing on remaining in a Wigan jersey and slowly working himself into the team. He also addressed the whole fitness issue which arose during talks with Fulham.

"How can I not be fit? I've played nearly 40 games; haven't missed a training session; been scoring goals for Watford. I think it was more about figures between the two clubs," he said. "And I don't think that came from Fulham anyway. The media just assumed I failed a medical because the deal broke down."

Before returning home to face Sunderland on Saturday, King, whose father hails from St Catherine, said he is focusing on working towards a win in tonight's game.

"I'm really looking forward to getting a good result on Wednesday and seeing a packed house," he said with a smile. "It feels good to be back at The Office and doing what I love doing - and that is playing for my country."