Before delivering his fateful punch, Marlon King allegedly asked his nightclub victim: “Do you know who I am”?, but those with only a casual interest in football might well answer: “No”. The striker served a lengthy apprenticeship in the lower divisions before finally getting his chance in the Premier League.

King’s league career began as an 18-year-old at Barnet, where he spent two years playing in the fourth tier. His efforts earned a move to Gillingham and the start of six seasons in what is now the Championship. He scored freely for Gillingham and Watford but was less effective at Nottingham Forest and on loan to Leeds United.

His finest period came in 2005-06, when he was named Watford’s player of the season for supplying 21 goals as they won promotion to the top flight via the play-offs. King was widely tipped to impress in the Premier League but a knee injury sidelined him for six months and he was unable to prevent Watford suffering an immediate relegation.

A burst of goals back in the Championship with Watford prompted Wigan Athletic to give him another chance among the elite but he scored just once, from a penalty, in 15 league appearances.

King enjoyed his most high-profile spell to date when Wigan loaned him to Hull City at the start of last season. He played a key role in a three-pronged attack as the newly promoted club unexpectedly established themselves in the top half of the table. But he fell out with Phil Brown, the Hull manager, and spent the second half of the campaign on loan to Middlesbrough, who were relegated.

Back at Wigan this season, he had managed only three league games as a substitute before they dismissed him over his court conviction.

King has been an occasional performer for Jamaica since making his debut in March 2004, the high point being a hat-trick against Haiti. However, approaching the latter stages of his career – he will be past his 31st birthday in 18 months’ time – he may not enjoy any more high points in football.

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