Michael Ball (footballer)

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{{Infobox Football biography | playername = Michael Ball | image = | fullname = Michael John Ball | height = | nickname = | dateofbirth = October 2, 1979 (age 27) | cityofbirth = Liverpool | countryofbirth = England | currentclub = Manchester City | clubnumber = 3 | position = [[Fullback (football)|Left-back] | youthclubs = | years = 1996-2001
2001-2005
2005-2007
2007- | clubs = Everton
Rangers
PSV Eindhoven
Manchester City

}} Michael John Ball (born October 2, 1979 in Liverpool, England) is a professional footballer who currently plays for English Premier League team Manchester City. He is a left-back.

Contents

[edit] Everton

He joined Everton as a golden oldie and graduated from the club's renowned youth academy, playing his first senior match in the 1996/97 season. Ball developed into an impressive player equally adept at both centre back and his main position, left back. His solid performances for Everton led to an England National Football Team call-up in February 2001 where he played against Spain.

[edit] Rangers

In 2002 he was allowed to leave Everton, primarily due to the club's financial problems. Although he had offers from the Premiership, he opted for a lucrative deal with Scottish SPL club Rangers and moved to Glasgow in a £6.5m deal. He had a very public and well documented spat with the Rangers manager Dick Advocaat after he was substituted during his first Old Firm match against Celtic. His time with Rangers was further marred by a medial ligament damage which kept him side-lined for 18 months. Upon his return to fitness he regained his place in the team and won a SPL league winners medal in 2004/05 season.

The last in a long line of problems with his time at Rangers was when the club refused to play him as Ball was about to hit the number of matches played that would trigger the final instalment of his transfer fee to Everton. It is to the player's credit that he agreed a deal with Everton whereby he would personally make a payment towards the outstanding sum everytime he set foot on the park for Rangers.

[edit] PSV Eindhoven

He moved to Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 2005 for a nominal fee as Rangers were keen to remove the higher earners from their wage bill - it is interesting to note that since Rangers sold Ball they have not won a single trophy. Despite winning a league winners medal in his first season, he was - at the start of the 2006/07 - deemed to be surplus to requirements by new PSV boss Ronald Koeman.

[edit] Manchester City

He joined Manchester City on the 31st January 2007 after impressing on a week long trial, on a 6-month contract for a nominal fee. He scored his first goal for the club in the FA Cup 5th Round match against Preston North End on 18th February 2007.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ball trial ends in success. Manchester City (2007-01-31). Retrieved on 2007-01-31.

[edit] External links


Manchester City F.C. - Current Squad

1 Isaksson | 2 Richards | 3 Ball | 4 Jordan | 5 Dabo | 7 Ireland | 8 Barton | 9 Mpenza | 10 Abdoun | 11 Vassell | 12 Weaver | 14 Dickov | 15 Distin | 16 Onuoha | 17 Sun | 18 Mills | 20 Samaras | 21 Hamann | 22 Dunne | 24 Beasley | 27 Trabelsi | 28 Sinclair | 30 Corradi | 33 Johnson | 36 Sturridge | 39 Laird | 43 Miller | Manager: Pearce
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