MARLON King has quit international football.

His agent Tony Finnigan confirmed today that the Birmingham City striker has called time on his sometimes controversial Reggae Boyz career, which started back in 2004.

It’s ironic that King chose to retire at a time when a high-powered JFF team, led by president Captain Horace Burrell and including head coach Theodore Whitmore, is in England to meet with the charismatic player with a view of bringing him back into the Boyz fold.

“It is with the deepest regret that I, Marlon King, have today decided to retire myself from international football. I have always given my all to the Jamaican football team and have some very fond memories of my achievements within the squad,” King said in a statement today.

The 32-year-old has not participated in any of Jamaica’s CONCACAF semi-final World Cup qualifying matches after being shown the cold shoulder by the Whitmore-led technical team since serving a two-match ban for breaching “curfew rules” on a friendly assignment in Panama in May.

Whitmore had deemed King as being “disruptive”, and he would never have found favour with the coaching team until the England-born goal-poacher was prepared to repent his ways.

No stranger to trouble, King was also banned for two years by the Crenston Boxhill-led federation for another curfew-related incident in London, 2006.

On the return of Burrell to the helm of the JFF in 2007, King was immediately reinstated to the team.

The former Watford player has scored 12 goals for Jamaica in 21 appearances.