Sheffield Wednesday-linked former Watford and Bristol City defender teams up with ex-Doncaster Rovers man in interesting switch

The former Watford man has signed for Sydney-based A-League side Macarthur FC, where he takes the registration of one of the alloted foreign players alongside one-time Doncaster Rovers loanee Jordon Mutch and ex-Cardiff City man Craig Noone.

Mariappa was reported to be the ‘mystery’ free agent defender targeted by Wednesday boss Darren Moore to ease continued injury problems among defenders at the club.

Wednesday self-imposed a deadline of last Monday for the Jamaica international to let them know of his decision, with Macarthur and an unnamed Championship club believed to be rivalling the Owls for his signature.

Moore said that while there was one other free agent defender available that he might have been interested in, his lack of recent match time meant it would likely have taken him too long to get up to speed for him to be a viable option.

On his unveiling at Macarthur, who were formed in 2017, Mariappa said: “I want to thank the owners and the football staff for having faith in me and making this happen.

“When the opportunity to join the Bulls arrived, it was one I couldn’t turn down. It’s an exciting new challenge for me in my career and that for me is what I thrive off.

“I’m hungry to achieve great things with the club and create new memories with the team and the fans.”