Ricardo Gardner Articles & Ricardo Gardner Websites

Ricardo Gardner (born 25 September 1978 in Saint Andrew, Jamaica) is a Jamaican footballer who currently plays for Bolton Wanderers. He is naturally a left winger but can also play in the centre of midfield or at left wingback.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Early career

Gardner began his professional career with Harbour View, where he debuted as a starter at only 14-years old. He also, representing Wolmer's Boys' High School, dominated the local high school football leagues and was considered outstanding.^[1] His performances for Jamaica during the 1998 World Cup attracted Bolton Wanderers, then playing in what is now known as the Football League Championship to offer Harbour View 1 million for his services.

[edit] Bolton Wanderers

Gardner immediately established himself a place in the first team for Bolton. He came on as a substitute to make his debut against Hartlepool in the League Cup on 25 August 1998,^[2] and then made his league debut as a substitute again against West Bromwich Albion on 8 September 1998. In this game, Bolton were reduced to 10 men after the sending off of Guni Bergsson shortly after Gardner came on, but he scored a late winner to give his team a memorable 32 victory over West Brom.^[3] He made 22 appearances, half of them starts, in his first year while scoring three goals. In his second season, 19992000, he established a place in the starting eleven, starting 23 of 26 games, that he has held on to since. Although Gardner suffered a cruciate ligament injury that took him out of action at the end of the season, he made a full recovery, and was able to return to the starting line-up in 200001 (scoring in the 2001 Division One Play off Final), playing with the promoted Bolton in the Premier League. Due to a knee injury, Gardner did not make his first appearance in the 200607 season until December.

In November 2007, he scored his first goal at club level in nearly five years when he opened the scoring in Bolton's 22 draw against German giants Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in the UEFA Cup group stage. A year later after being moved from a wing-back role back into midfield he scored in the Wanderers 20 win over local rivals Manchester City.

Gardner made his 400th appearance for Bolton in a 30 defeat to Fulham on 27 April 2011. On 24 May 2011, he was in discussions to extend his Bolton contract into a fourteenth year. Gardner rejected a move to West Ham favouring to sign a new one year contract at Bolton,^[4] which he signed on 5 August.^[5] He made four league appearances at the beginning of the next season but was sent off for two bookable offences in Bolton's 31 defeat at Swansea City on 29 October and then suffered an injury, making no further appearances that year. At the close of the January 2012 transfer window, he wasn't named in Bolton's twenty five man Premier League squad for the second half of the season meaning he would play no further part in the league campaign.^[6] It was later revealed that he had been omitted due to having had an operation on his knee that the Bolton medical staff could not guarantee he would recover from in time to play again that season.^[7]

[edit] Preston North End

On 8 March 2011, Gardner went to Preston North End on an emergency one-month loan as cover for Phil Brown's side. Bolton manager Owen Coyle said it was a great chance for Gardner to improve his match fitness after only just recovering from injury.^[8]

He made his debut the following day at the left-back position in the 21 loss to Leeds United and played three more games for the club.^[9]

[edit] Career statistics

Statistics correct as of matches played 29 October 2011^[10]

[edit] International career

Gardner rose to international prominence following the 1998 World Cup. Gardner has also been an important player for the Jamaican national team for much of the last decade and has earned his place as the team's captain. He captains every match for the team whenever he plays and he has been from 2005.

[edit] Honours

• Caribbean Cup: 1

1998

• 2001 Football League First Division Play-offs
• 2006 Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year.

[edit] Personal life

Gardner is a rastafarian and sports dreadlocks.^[1] He is part owner, with Robert Scarlett and Ian Goodison, of a record label, Heart of Love Production,^[1] which promotes ragga and dancehall music.^[11]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Profile at Boltonwanderers.us
• Ricardo Gardner career stats at Soccerbase

v t e Jamaica squad 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Barrett 2 Malcolm 3 Dawes 4 Dixon 5 Goodison 6 Simpson 7 Cargill 8 Gayle 9 Williams 10 Boyd 11 Whitmore 12 Sewell 13 Lawrence 14 Ricketts 15 Gardner 16 Earle 17 Lowe 18 Burton 19 Sinclair 20 Powell 21 Brown 22 Hall Coach: Simes

v t e Jamaica squad 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Ricketts 2 Vernon 3 Stewart 4 Davis 5 Goodison 7 Morrison 8 Campbell-Ryce 10 Fuller 11 Shelton 12 Phillips 13 Kerr 14 Marshall 15 Gardner 16 Johnson 17 Austin 18 Wolfe 19 Addlery 20 Thompson 21 Miller 22 Cummings 23 Richards 24 Thomas Coach: Whitmore