Birmingham move for Marlon King?

Just under a year after his early release from prison for a sexual assault conviction, sidelined Reggae Boyz striker Marlon King is back in the spotlight - this time for good reasons, as he is being linked with a move to English Championships side Birmingham City.

Having just returned from holidays, King was expected to complete a medical at the relegated Premier League outfit's facilities yesterday after-noon (Jamaican time), having already agreed personal terms with the Birmingham directors on a reported three-year deal worth around £15,000 per week (J$2 million).

The move has, however, not gone down too well with fans of his former club Coventry City, for whom King had signed amid public disapproval after his release from prison. King, who became a free agent at the end of the just-concluded season, was offered an improved deal by Coventry City and fans were expecting him to show his gratitude to the club for the risk they took in signing him, by extending his stay there.

player of the season

The 31-year-old England-born Jamaican international won over the Coventry fans with his team-leading 13 goals contribution, which included a burst of 11 goals in 12 matches that catapulted them away from the Championships' relegation zone.

However, King, who was voted by fans as Coventry's Player of the Season, looks set to join their rivals Birmingham, a move that has seen a lot of fans voicing their disappointment on popular social-media sites, such as Twitter.

Coventry officials have insisted that they were given multiple verbal agreements by the player and his adviser last week that he would re-sign with the club, given its role in the rebuilding of his career. King's agent Tony Finnigan has since denied the claims of any prior agreement with Coventry, and confirmed that the player was seeking a three-year deal.

King has scored 120 goals in his 373 appearances in professional football; a period that has seen him representing clubs such as Leeds United, Watford, Wigan, Hull City and Middlesbrough.

King, who has had disciplinary issues at the national level before, has scored 10 goals in his 18 appearances for the Reggae Boyz but has not represented the country since 2008, against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium.