King says City move gateway to Europe
JAMAICAN international and Birmingham City striker Marlon King says the lure of playing in Europe prompted his move to the club three months ago.
Hauled over the coals by Coventry City who accused him of betrayal, the 31-year-old King told Sky Sports yesterday: “I had a few offers in the summer, but Birmingham is a big club. When the opportunity came up I wanted to sign for the Blues.”
King signed a three-year contract with the club on June 10 after a year with Coventry, who gave him a chance to resume his football career following his release from prison for sexual assault and occasioning bodily harm on a woman in a night club.
“The lure of Europe played a big part in it and I know we’re going to be in the mix for promotion at the end of the season. That was important to me as well,” he added.
King joined Coventry on September 20 last year, scoring 13 goals from 29 appearances. He turned down a new offer from Coventry in favour of the move to St Andrew’s.
The transfer was formally completed on July 1, but a knee ligament injury in pre-season made him unable to play until last Sunday when he was on the pitch in the last 30 minutes in a 3-0 home defeat to Millwall.
“I am no spring chicken. These opportunities don’t come up every day and every player will tell you that he wants to play in the top competitions — Europe is one of them,” King pointed out.
King featured in yesterday’s Europa League game against Sporting Braga of Portugal at St Andrew’s, scoring from inside the area in the 71st minute for Birmingham to trail 2-1. Chris Burke provided the assist.
Sporting Bragga eventually won, 3-1, with a brace from Helder Barbosa and the other from Rodrigo Jose Lima dos Santos.
Coventry chairman Ken Dulieu fumed when King took up Birmingham’s offer, noting that they had reached a verbal agreement with King and his advisor.
“Verbally, everything was settled and agreed and now we find out that a deal has been done with Birmingham,” he explained in the summer.
“The club and our supporters have fully backed Marlon on his return to the game and I think we deserve better than this.”
King made 19 appearances for Jamaica between 2004-2009, scoring 12 goals.
He was captain of the national team on March 26, 2008 at the National Stadium in Kingston where he and Tyrone Marshall scored in a 2-2 draw against Trinidad & Tobago in a friendly international.
