Town boss Mick McCarthy says former Blues striker Jack Marriott, now with Peterborough and the top scorer in League One, was “disgraceful” and unfit when he came back for pre-season in 2014, the summer prior to his final season at Portman Road.

Marriott, now 23, came through the Town academy having been signed as a schoolboy from Kettering.

He had hugely successful spells on loan at Woking in the Vanarama National League but was unable to replicate that success when out at clubs in the EFL or in his handful of appearances with the Blues.

After one League Cup start and two Championship games from the bench for Town without finding the net, the Beverley-born frontman was let go at the end of the 2014/15 campaign.

He immediately joined Luton with whom he scored 28 goals in two seasons before moving on to Posh last summer and having scored 32 times during 2017/18 (26 in League One) has been linked with Championship sides including Leeds, Hull, Cardiff and Aston Villa.

Asked whether he regretted letting Marriott move on, McCarthy said: “I wish the lad well and that decision was made by pretty much everybody.

“I take responsibility for it, but it was made by everybody. There was nobody saying we should keep him.

“I think he’s lost about a stone and a half since he was here. He came back that pre-season before we let him go and he was getting pretty much lapped by people.

“So I’d have to say he was disgraceful that pre-season, he wasn’t fit in any shape or form and I said to him when played them in pre-season when I knew he’d score, I said we’d have to score two because Jack would score, and he did.

“And I said to him after the game, I said, ‘So where’s that other fella that used to train with us, that little fat one?’. And he laughed at me and said, ‘All right gaffer, yeah, yeah, yeah’.

“I said, “Fair play to you, I’m delighted for you’. It doesn’t matter to me when they finally cop on, so however he’s done it, he has and he’s done brilliantly.

“He wasn’t going to do it here, he just wasn’t. He had to move, he’s had to grow up and congratulations to him, I’m thrilled for him.

“I say to them all when they leave here, ‘Go and play and have 200, 300, 400 or 500 games and come back and you can shake my hand and you’re my equal’. I love it for him, I’m delighted and good luck to him.”

Photo: TWTD

Trequartista added 19:19 - Apr 9 Maybe put him on a fitness program rather then just get rid then? No Yorkshire knows best.
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BlueBlood90 added 19:21 - Apr 9 Well you can easily lose weight but you don't lose talent. It was a shocking error of judgement releasing a young player who quite clearly had potential and time to grow up. He probably realised he never stood a chance of getting a chance under that dinosaur.
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TheTrueBlue1878 added 19:23 - Apr 9 'Where's the fella that used to train with us, that little fat one'. - Mick McCarthy being Mick McCarthy. ‘Go and play and have 200, 300, 400 or 500 games and come back and you can shake my hand and you're my equal'. So if you don't play 500 games in football you're not his equal.... Who the f**k is this guy.
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Keaneish added 19:28 - Apr 9 Agreed, Trequartista. Put him in the reserves, give him a warning, send him out on loan but release him for being unfit and not having discipline? Bonkers Mick given how much reported interest there is in him and with the price tags being thrown around - that's a lot of money let go out of the club for nowt.
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SuperTommySmith added 19:29 - Apr 9 Yes you have to play exactly 500 games or you're not Mick's equal. That is a clear set in the sand line that must be crossed. He'll be gone soon, get a grip jfc.
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jas0999 added 19:31 - Apr 9 It's all well and good, but ultimately, just like Rhodes, the club have to make a decision. That decision has to be based on what's known at the time. Many top top players have been released before breaking through. It happens.
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artsbossbeard added 19:36 - Apr 9 When all the other players employ a fitness trainer for the summer and will have a couple of weeks to themselves, he's obviously gone too far with partying and come back a mess. He's lets himself down, team mates down and ultimately, the club. Blaming someone's ill discipline on Mick is spin wizardry of the highest order. Get a grip, ladies. He'll be gone soon and the sunshine and rainbow football you all crave will simply slip into place.

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blue75 added 19:43 - Apr 9 Nobody wanted him to stay, oh yeah you normally ignore the fans when they're right.
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iaintaylorx added 19:50 - Apr 9 What a lovely thing to say, Mick! Just accept you were possibly to let him go, but I guess you're too stubborn to accept that! You can always lose weight, especially as a footballer! I hope wherever Mick goes next, Marriott slaps in a hattrick and runs up to Mick with the ball under his shirt!!
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shakytown added 19:50 - Apr 9 So we keep the goal scoring machine that is Freddie sears and get rid of a young player with talent. I wonder why we are such a C..p team at the moment?????? This moron has probably done more damage to the club than Keane could do in a lifetime.
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iaintaylorx added 19:52 - Apr 9 I swear the majority of players we deem “not good enough”, actually go on to be decent players... Marriott, Hourihane, Rhodes! But we keep deadwood?
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MattinLondon added 20:05 - Apr 9 Marriott is yet to play at a higher level than the championship- who knows if he can in the PL. MM made a judgement call on whether or not to keep Marriott - that's what managers are paid to do. You can't keep every player just on the basis that they'll suddenly become better at some point. Dropping down leagues probably helped Marriott give him a much needed kick up the arse. Every manager has probably let players go who have all went on to have good careers. Think some of the comments are a bit ludicrous-

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Wickets added 20:10 - Apr 9 Sorry Mick you need to learn to handle all types of players to get the best out of them, whatever excuses you make. letting talented players slip away is not good enough. Perhaps he would not have come back overweight if he had been handled better.
2

bingboast added 20:38 - Apr 9 peteswindon, how true your comments, how they can call themselves fans I dont know. They are all so talented, man management skills, football coaching, financial management but they all share MM lack of diplomacy & common sense.
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wayway added 20:43 - Apr 9 peteswindon, if Boring Billy McCarthy signed Messi he would probably play him left back
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peteswindon added 20:45 - Apr 9 Bigboast Just remember they have all won the champions league with accrington on FIFA18
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blueboy1981 added 20:49 - Apr 9 ....... you mean he wasn't going to do it under you - he's certainly proved himself since his move, that's for sure. Not everyone agrees with everything you say Mick, hence they never become a favourite - thus commanding a guaranteed team place, irrespective of how they preform. That's the real truth of the matter.
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sereneblue added 20:52 - Apr 9 And there lies the problem. A man who is encable of man management. A man who's ego is so big,he can't see pass it to recognise the true talent that passes before his own eyes. As in life some people need an arm round their shoulder others need a kick up the backside. McCarthy does not possess the mentality to know how to use this simple human trait.
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blueboy1981 added 20:53 - Apr 9 peteswindon ....... showing your colours there hey ? - pretty disgraceful I would say - not surprised you're a McCarthy man. You'll impress far less people - than IMPRESS.
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nc41 added 21:10 - Apr 9 Hourihane, Rhodes, Marriott? Rhodes was sold in 2009, 9 year ago ffs. Are we seriously saying that 3 players coming good elsewhere in 9 years is a failure on the club? The club have released well over a hundred players in that time; I would add Matt Clarke into that as well; I think it was a mistake to let him go so soon TBF. So what we are saying is that club is right about 98-99% of the players it releases. I think if the only mistakes we can name are those three then the clubs doing alright. All clubs are releasing young players, many of those will become ghost players and eventually come good. To think the club will get every decision right is idealistic to say the least of course it will get some wrong. Jamie Vardy is just one example; released by Sheffield Wednesday IIRC. The players named, when compared to volume through the academy suggest we are excellent at retaining talent.

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TimmyH added 21:12 - Apr 9 You get the feeling McCarthy has little time for young players unless they are strictly under a MM regime, if they do show promise they generally go out on loan (and not seen again in the 1st team). It may well be he was overweight and not fit to be near the squad as said but surely there are ways round this other than getting rid of?...well we know who the egg is on the face of now.

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Karlosfandangal added 21:17 - Apr 9 Man U let Pogba go......you only make a descion at the time. Everyone moan about letting Moore go yet he has not lit up the Championship with his goals.
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nc41 added 21:21 - Apr 9 Easy to lose weight? This was a young lad in a football academy. If he comes back out of shape it suggests a lack of commitment and failure to respond to the huge privilege and opportunity that lies before him. This happens frequently in the rugby academies. Younger players mess up and find themselves in a last chance saloon. Some will come good. I would suggest releasing him was the lesson learned, that made him a decent player. These kids are in the academies for years. Some lose their way, make mistakes it happens. The last chance saloon is a maker or breaker.

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TheTrueBlue1878 added 21:30 - Apr 9 peteswindon - who the f**k is that keyboard warrior.
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Lightningboy added 21:37 - Apr 9 Probably best Jack left what with our fitness & training “expertise” this season. Never heard of so many players being injured - hopefully the new management team will put things right on that front too.
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