Having agreed a contract extension to keep him at the club for the remainder of the season, Adrian Mariappa is full of confidence that the squad are capable of picking up enough points in the final nine games to avoid the drop.
“There’s no doubt in my mind, I didn’t have any doubts when we hadn’t won a game earlier in the season and I always had faith that we’d turn it around,” said the defender.
“I’ve got the upmost belief and faith in the boys, obviously I see what we’re doing every day and I know we’re up for the fight, it’s as simple as that. We’re fully focused on the job at hand.”
After a slow start to the season, the team's turnaround in form really came about when Nigel Pearson took charge and immediately picked up 13 points from his first six league matches.
Mariappa featured in five of those matches, missing only the Wolves win through suspension, and feels comfortable playing under the new Head Coach when called upon.
“I’m really enjoying my football under Nigel,” said Mariappa. “I think it’s evident to see how he’s turned our season around and I’ve got a lot of respect for him and the staff and the way we’re approaching things now.”
Mariappa’s contract now runs until the season concludes. Beyond that, his aspirations remain focused on helping Watford however he can, as well as looking ahead to a potential 2022 tournament with his international team.
“For me now it’s just about concentrating on these remaining games and then hopefully I can sit down after we’ve stayed up and I can sign on for even longer,” said the 33-year-old. “Because I’m fully focused on trying to achieve all I can with this club, and I want to be here as long as I can. That’s always been my aim.
“Internationally I’d still like to play at a World Cup as well. I know I’m not getting any younger but that’s a big focus of mine and we’ve got a great opportunity with Jamaica to do that.”
