Agent: King to appeal

Marlon King’s agent expects the Wigan striker to launch an appeal after he was jailed for 18 months.

The striker was found guilty of sexual assault and actual bodily harm over an incident in a London nightclub, which occurred in December while he was on loan at Hull.

The 29-year-old, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, claimed he was a victim of “mistaken identity”.

Agent Tony Finnegan told Sky Sports News: “I understand the lawyers are looking at the files and the transcripts to launch an appeal.”

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has said King will not play for the club again, and the club will terminate his contract.

King also served five months behind bars in 2002 after being caught at the wheel of a stolen BMW, while he has found himself in the dock on seven previous occasions for dishonesty, various motoring offences and violence against women.

Finnegan said he was “110%” confident King will find another club, if Wigan carry out their pledge to dismiss him.

“He’s employed in football to score goals. Anyone who’s played with Marlon King will tell you he’s a great professional,” Finnegan said.

“When he trains he works hard, he’s a leader and he’s a winner, and he scores goals – he’s good at it.”

Finnegan added: “If he fails again he’ll go and suffer the consequences.”

Discussing King’s time in jail, Finnegan said the 29-year-old “will have to do some soul-searching”, however he was critical of the Professional Footballers’ Association, whose deputy chief executive Bobby Barnes claimed King had brought the situation on himself.

“I thought Bobby Barnes’ comments were out of order,” Finnegan said.

“I thought Bobby should have been alongside him at the court to see how it developed during the week.”

He added: “What’s the union there for? To support their members. Why wouldn’t they support him? They’re supporting other players.”

Arsene Wenger believes King should be allowed to return to the game after serving his sentence.

“I believe that you have justice and it’s not my justice, it is the justice that England has decided to apply to his case,” Wenger said.

“When he has paid his sentence, of course you would consider signing someone like that.

“Otherwise you would never forgive anybody anything. When he has paid his sentence, some clubs if they want, they will take him.”

Wenger, like Allardyce, stressed King’s situation should be considered “an isolated incident”.

He said: “He is an individual and if you do what he has done, the fact that he has played football has nothing to do with it.”