Martin Rowlands

Martin Rowlands
Personal information
Full name Martin Charles Rowlands
Date of birth (1979-02-08) 8 February 1979
Place of birth Hammersmith, London, England
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Youth career
1995–1997 Wycombe Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1997–1998 Farnborough Town 39 (7)
1998–2003 Brentford 152 (20)
2003–2012 Queens Park Rangers 198 (33)
2011 → Millwall (loan) 1 (0)
2011 → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) 10 (0)
2012 Colchester United 9 (2)
2012–2013 Leyton Orient 33 (4)
2013–2014 Aldershot Town 36 (2)
National team‡
1999–2000 Republic of Ireland U21 8 (1)
2004–2009 Republic of Ireland 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 22:59, 16 March 2015 (UTC).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2009

Martin Charles Rowlands (born 8 February 1979) is an English-born Irish footballer who last played for Aldershot Town.

Club career

After starring for Heston Gaels GAA club at underage level, Rowlands started his football career at Wycombe Wanderers, but did not earn a professional contract and joined Farnborough Town in 1997 before moving to Brentford in August 1998 for a transfer fee of £45,000.[1] In five season with Brentford, he made 186 appearances in all competitions, scoring 23 goals.[1]

After suffering a broken leg, QPR manager Ian Holloway took a gamble on Rowlands and signed him on a free transfer from local rivals Brentford in the summer of 2003. This gamble paid off, as Rowlands scored 12 goals from midfield, helping his new side to promotion from the Second Division. That season, Rowlands also showed versatility, playing right back, right midfield, left midfield and centre midfield; excelling in all positions. He won both the supporters and players' player of the year competitions.

Since then, Rowlands has suffered many injuries and has never truly recaptured his outstanding form of 2003/04. However, in 2006/07 he managed to score 10 goals from midfield.

In 2007/08 he was selected captain, and was regularly among Rangers` best performers. He played 43 league games, scoring 6 goals, including a memorable brace in Rangers' 4–2 victory at Watford. He won both the Supporters' Player of the Year and the Ray Jones Players' Player of the Year award. As of January 2012 Rowlands was the longest-serving member of the QPR squad having spent 9 years at the club.

On 25 February 2011 Rowlands signed for Millwall, on an emergency one-month loan, after only playing 23 minutes of competitive football for QPR in the 2010/11 season. On 31 January 2012 Rowlands' contract with Queens Park Rangers was terminated by mutual consent. On 2 February 2012 Rowlands signed a contract with Colchester United. After a solid 3 months with the U's, he was released from his contract after suffering with injuries. He racked up 9 appearances and scored 2 goals during his time in Essex.[2]

Rowlands signed on a month-long contract with Leyton Orient on 28 August 2012, after spending several weeks training with the London club, and featuring in two pre-season friendly matches.[3]

On 22 September 2012, Rowlands scored his first Orient goal, a 20-yard volley against Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road. The game ended 1–1. After 40 appearances and four goals in all competitions, he rejected a contract extension at the end of the 2012–13 season, and became a free agent.

Rowlands signed for Conference Premier side Aldershot Town for the 2013-2014 season.

International career

Following good displays with QPR, Rowlands was called up to the Republic of Ireland squad in the summer of 2004, playing two games. His good club form in season 2007/2008 and his subsequent player of the year awards with QPR led to Rowlands being included in Giovanni Trappatoni's first Republic of Ireland squad.

After a substitute appearance against Italy in Ireland's penultimate qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup, Rowlands was chosen to start for Ireland against Montenegro in their final group game.

On 14 October 2009, he injured his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the Republic of Ireland v Montenegro, resulting in him being ruled out of the rest of the 2009–10 season for QPR.

Career statistics

Club

[4]

Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other[5] Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Farnborough Town 1996–97 5000––0050
1997–98 34710––00357
Total 39710––00407
Brentford 1998–99 3643040–31465
1999–2000 4062020–30476
2000–01 3221041–61434
2001–02 2671010–00287
2002–03 1812000–20221
Total 1522090111–14218623
Queens Park Rangers 2003–04 42101022–314812
2004–05 3531021–00384
2005–06 1421000–00152
2006–07 29100000–002910
2007–08 4461011–00467
2008–09 2422030–00292
2009–10 600010–0070
2010–11 400000–0040
Millwall (loan) 2010–11 100000–0010
Queens Park Rangers 2011–12 000010–0010
Wycombe Wanderers (loan) 2011–12 1001000–00110
Total 1983360104–0021437
Colchester United 2011–12 920000–0092
Total 920000–0092
Career total 40962170215–14246169

International

Republic of Ireland national team
YearAppsGoals
200430
200500
200600
200700
200800
200920
Total50

[6]

Honours

As a player

Brentford
Queens Park Rangers

As an individual

References

  1. 1 2 "Martin Rowlands". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
  2. ↑ "Colchester United sign Martin Rowlands after QPR exit". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  3. ↑ "Os add Rowlands to squad". Leyton Orient F.C. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  4. ↑ "Martin Rowlands Career Stats". Soccerbase. 5 February 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  5. ↑ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Football League Trophy and Football League play-offs
  6. ↑ "Martin Rowlands". National Football Teams. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  7. ↑ Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the 90s. Legends Publishing. p. 445. ISBN 978-1906796716.
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