Mariappa, who was born in London, England, to a Jamaican mother and a Fijian father, was eligible to represent all three of those countries and had received interest from both Jamaica and Fiji.
He opted for Jamaica due to its higher standing on the international stage.
“Jamaica has a great heritage and has been to the World Cup before,” Mariappa says. “Some great names have played for Jamaica and it is definitely a more high-profile country.”
The 25-year-old was named by the Fiji Football Association in an extended national training squad to prepare for the 2011 Pacific Games but did not travel to the nation of his father’s birth to take part and the chances of him playing for Fiji remained unclear.
He was therefore not included in Carlos Buzzetti’s squad for the OFC Nations Cup – set to be staged in the Solomon Islands from 1-10 June – and the news from Jamaica has now ruled him out of any potential participation with Fiji.
Mariappa has been included in the Reggae Boyz squad for their international friendly against Guyana on 18 May and is looking forward to making his debut.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to come and play international football with the possibility of making the World Cup in Brazil in two years. It is a great honour for me to be involved,” he says.
The centre-back plays for Watford in the Championship – the second tier of English football – and his excellent form has attracted suitors from a higher level. He was the focus of transfer speculation during the January transfer window when Watford received a number of bids for him from Premier League clubs.
Three bids from high-flying Newcatle United were rejected while an offer from Wigan Athletic was accepted but Mariappa turned down the chance to talk over a move.
There were also rumours of interest from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who was said to be keen to strengthen his defence with the acquisition of Mariappa.
As a result of his impressive performances, the Watford vice-captain was named player of the season for the 2011-12 campaign.

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