Ricardo Gardner

Ricardo Gardner
Personal information
Full nameRicardo Wayne Gardner[1]
Date of birth25 September 1978
Place of birthSaint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing positionleft winger
Youth career
1992–1997Harbour View
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1997–1998Harbour View10(2)
1998–2012Bolton Wanderers347(21)
2011→ Preston North End (loan)4(0)
National team‡
1997–2012Jamaica112[2](9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:00, 29 October 2011 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19:53, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Ricardo Wayne Gardner (born 25 September 1978, in Saint Andrew, Jamaica), commonly known as Bibi, is a Jamaican footballer. He is naturally a left winger but can also play in the centre of midfield or at left wingback. He is a free agent after being released by Bolton Wanderers in May 2012, following a 14-year spell at the club, of which 11 were spent in the Premier League.

He has earned 112 caps for the Jamaica national football team, scoring 9 goals and playing at four CONCACAF Gold Cups and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

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.[3] His performances for Jamaica during the 1998 World Cup attracted English First Division side Bolton Wanderers to offer Harbour View £1 million for his services.[4]

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,[5] and 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 Guðni Bergsson shortly after Gardner came on, but he scored a late winner to give his team a memorable 3–2 victory over West Brom.[6] He made 22 appearances, half of them starts, in his first year while scoring three goals. In his second season, 1999–2000, 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 2000–01 (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 2006–07 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 2–2 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 2–0 win over local rivals Manchester City.[7]

Gardner made his 400th appearance for Bolton in a 3–0 defeat to Fulham on 27 April 2011.[8] On 24 May 2011, he was in discussions to extend his Bolton contract into a fourteenth year. Gardner rejected a move to West Ham United favouring to sign a new one-year contract at Bolton,[9] which he signed on 5 August.[10] He made four league appearances at the beginning of the next season but was sent off for two bookable offences in Bolton's 3–1 defeat at Swansea City on 29 October [11] 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.[12] 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.[13] It was announced on 18 May 2012 that Ricardo had left the club in line with the expiration of his contract.[8] At the time, Gardner was the second longest serving foreign player in Premier League history after serving fourteen years at Bolton, only beaten by his former Bolton team mate Jussi Jääskeläinen.[14]

Preston North End (loan)

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.[15]

He made his debut the following day at the left-back position in the 2–1 loss to Leeds United and played three more games for the club.[16]

Career statistics

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
1998–99Bolton WanderersFirst Division3321031-373
1999–20002954091-426
2000–0135320--373
2001–02Premier League3132010-343
2002–03322---322
2003–04220-40-260
2004–053304010-380
2005–06300403070440
2006–0718030--210
2007–08260--41301
2008–092941010-314
2009–102113020-261
2010–11400010-50
2010–11Preston North End (loan)Championship400000-40
2011–12Bolton WanderersPremier League400020-60
Total England 3512024027211141323
Career total 3512024027211141323

Statistics correct as of matches played 29 October 2011[17]

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 was captain for the team between 2005 and 2009. He also Captained the team for one game in 2012 at the 2012 Caribbean Cup.

Honours

1998

Personal life

Gardner is a rastafarian and sports dreadlocks.[3] He is part owner, with Robert Scarlett and Ian Goodison, of a record label, Heart of Love Production,[3] which promotes ragga and dancehall music.[18]

References

  1. ↑ Hugman, Barry J. (ed) (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. ↑ http://www.jamaicafootballfederation.com/v1/return-of-ricardo-gardner/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Bibi – the 'big dog' now". Jamaica Gleaner. Gleaner Company. 11 October 2008. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  4. ↑ "Bibi vs Boyz". Jamaica Star. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Hartlepool 0 Bolton 3 (Agg: 0–4)". Sporting Life (365 Media Group). 25 August 1998. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  6. ↑ "West Bromwich Albion 2 Bolton Wanderers 3". Sporting Life (365 Media Group). 8 September 1998. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  7. ↑ "Bolton 2-0 Man City". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Relegated Bolton release 'Bibi' Gardner". www.jamaicaobserver.com. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  9. ↑ Ricardo rejects Sam to stick with Whites The Bolton News, 17 June 2011
  10. ↑ Bibi says delighted with new deal at Bolton Jamaica Observer, 7 August 2011
  11. ↑ "Swansea 3-1 Bolton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 February 2013.
  12. ↑ Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists Premier League, 2 February 2012
  13. ↑ Gardner out for season - but not for good The Bolton News, 7 February 2012
  14. ↑ Van Persie given tantalising taste of what could be The Independent, 19 December 2011
  15. ↑ "Bolton midfielder Gardner heads to Preston on loan to improve fitness following lengthy lay-off". Mail Online (Associated Newspapers). 8 March 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  16. ↑ "Ricardo Gardner". Preston North End FC. Retrieved 16 June 2011.
  17. ↑ Bolton Wanderers FC
  18. ↑ "Set Me Free Riddim – Various Artists (VA)". Caribbean Music Database. Retrieved 17 June 2011.

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Aaron Lawrence		 Jamaica national football team captain
2008–2011 		Succeeded by
Shavar Thomas