‘Tusty’ finally hangs up boots

The stop-start professional football career of Vincentian Marlon “Tusty” James has reached its final destination.{{more}}

The 37-year-old had, for the past three years, been in Malaysia, where he had established himself as a potent striker with Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM), also known as the Armed Forces.

Reports are that a prolonged injury forced his employers to look elsewhere for a replacement.

During the 2013-2014 season, James played only twice in the league and scored once.

James, a former St Vincent and the Grenadines senior team captain, was the league’s top scorer in 2012-2013.

He notched up the Best Foreign Player award for the second successive season.

James joined ATM in 2012 and helped them win promotion from the Premier League that campaign, registering almost a goal a game during his spell at the club.

In that season, James converted 33 goals, and it was a welcome return to Malaysia for him, as in 2008, the football authorities there had placed a ban on foreign players.

Prior to that, he played for Kedah FA in the Super League from 2006 to 2008, blasting an incredible 44 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions, as the team won back-to-back trebles.

And, without much surprise, he bagged the Most Valuable Foreign Player award in both years.

James opened the door for St Vincent and the Grenadines in Malaysia in 2004, when he first made his Malaysian League debut in 2004 with Sebah, then Selangor MK Land.

This allowed in Cornelius Huggins, Randy Pierre and Shandell Samuel, with Huggins enjoying three years of the Malaysian set-up, while the others had very brief stints.

James, in the 2006-2007 season, then representing Kedah FC, was pivotal as they won every trophy that was at stake – the Malaysian Super League, the Malaysian Cup and the Malaysian FA Cup.

James began his international professional career in Ireland with Bray Wanderers in 2000. He transferred to Tirense in the Portuguese Second Division in 2001.

Prior to the European outing, he wet his feet in the Trinidad and Tobago semi pro league.

After being prevented from plying his trade in Malaysia, James then moved to Canada’s Vancouver Whitecaps in December 2008, but was released by the North American club in August 2010.

In one-and-a-half seasons with the Whitecaps, James started 17 of his 31 total appearances for 1,628 minutes of action. He scored 12 goals and added a pair of assists in the process.

James, a resident of Bequia, also represented Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the international level, from 1996 to 2008, earning 55 caps and scoring 12 times.(RT)