An all-round football player of Sri Lankan descent, Marvin Hamilton, who is currently playing for a leading English football club Whitehawk FC, is awaiting return to lift the plummeting image of the island’s team on the international stage.
Once his paperwork is completed with Immigration, Hamilton will make his bid to stake a claim for a place in the Sri Lanka team which has hit the dumps internationally in recent years.
“Hamilton has a very good chance of joining the Sri Lanka squad,” said Anura de Silva, the president of the Football Federation of Sri Lanka (FFSL). Hamilton was first called up to represent the Sri Lanka team in May 2019 in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification Round One.
However, he was unable to proceed for the World Cup qualifiers due to certain formalities being incomplete.
“Marvin’s paperwork is almost complete but there are a few more formalities to be attended to and he will be available to join the squad very soon. “Marvin’s inclusion will be a big asset for the team and hopefully, we will taste success in the near future,” said de Silva. Hamilton is said to have expressed his desire to make his mother and family proud by wearing the national jersey of the Sri Lanka team.
The tall midfielder began his career with Gillingham FC and went on to play for a number of non-League clubs in the South of England.
Hamilton also had brief spells playing in Cyprus, Australia and the USA. As a junior he wanted to play for Arsenal and signed up as a youth player for Gillingham FC.
“I played for Arsenal as a kid, got released and then signed a scholarship at Gillingham. I signed my first professional contract with them too. After a few years I signed a two-year deal for a Cyprus team,” said Hamilton.
He then returned to the UK and signed up to play for Eastbourne Borough and also spent one season in Australia and then back to the UK.
He also spent one summer in the USA playing for San Antonia Corinthians and is currently with the UK team Whitehawk.
Contrary to what the critics think, Hamilton is positive he can turn the tide in Sri Lanka.
“I think more people around the world need to recognize that football is growing in Sri Lanka,” said Hamilton when asked how he looked at Sri Lanka.