Carl Brown: Marlon King can help

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC):

Former head coach of the Jamaica national football team, Carl Brown, believes in-form striker Marlon King should be recalled to the team for the final round of the 2014 World Cup qualifier.

Brown said King's presence could make a difference for the Reggae Boyz who struggled through their CONCACAF round to qualify for the final six-nation play-off next year.

King has not been called up to the Jamaica squad since his two-match ban for allegedly breaking a curfew while on national duty in Panama in early June.

On Tuesday, he scored a hat-trick inside 19 minutes, to power his English Championship team Birmingham, to a sensational comeback against Millwall who were leading 0-3.

"The staff could genuinely say that they have got this far without Marlon King, let's keep going," said Brown in an interview with local television station TVJ.

KING IS NEEDED

"But it's not going to take away the fact that people will always believe that Marlon can help, and I believe that he can help and I will continue to say that, even if we get through and qualify for the World Cup without him."

Current head coach, Theodore Whitmore, has come under fire from members of the public for the striker's continued omission from the squad, despite already serving his ban.

King has scored 12 goals in 21 appearances for the Reggae Boyz.

Meantime, Brown has insisted that the Jamaica national team needs overhauling if it is to be competitive on the international stage.

He said there is a lack of quality players on the squad and the absence of a development programme is the reason.

"If we have to continue going back to players who are 33 and 34, something is wrong and we have to look at our overall approach," said Brown.

"All I am saying is we are not seeing the young ones coming to the fore to replace the past, and we keeping backtracking. We have to look deeply at what is happening to our players."

The CONCACAF final round, featuring qualifiers Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama and the United States, is due to start on February 6.