Gino Padula

Gino Padula

Personal information
Full name	Trevor Gino Mauro Padula
Date of birth	July 11, 1976 (1976-07-11)
Place of birth	Lanús, Argentina
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Left Back
Club information
Current club	Free Agent
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1997	River Plate	3	(0)
1997–1998	Huracán	31	(1)
1998–1999	Xerez
1999	Bristol Rovers
1999–2000	Walsall	25	(0)
2000–2001	Wigan Athletic	4	(0)
2002–2005	Queens Park Rangers	90	(4)
2005–2006	Nottingham Forest	3	(0)
2007–2008	Montpellier	7	(0)
2008–2010	Columbus Crew	56	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 October 2010. † Appearances (Goals).

Gino Padula (born July 11, 1976 in Lanús) is an Argentine footballer.

Career

Padula started his career with Argentine club River Plate in 1996 before moving to Huracán in 1997. In 1998 he moved to Europe to play for Xerez in Spain. His move to Europe was facilitated by the fact that he is the holder of an Italian passport. His family is originally from Italy.

Padula played in English football between 1999 and 2006. His first club in England was Bristol Rovers. After a short spell there, he went onto Walsall in November 1999, departing for Wigan Athletic in July 2000 where his only goal for the club ironically came against Walsall in the LDV Vans Trophy. In 2002 he joined Queens Park Rangers, where he quickly established himself in the squad and became a fan favourite, and was also part of the R's team that achieved promotion to the Football League Championship in 2004. He then joined Nottingham Forest in summer 2005. In his first season at the City Ground, he made only five appearances in total for the club before leaving by 'mutual consent'.

Padula moved to Montpellier HSC in France in 2007, but having only made seven appearances, he transferred to the Columbus Crew in the Major League Soccer. There, he was part of the team that won the MLS Supporters Shield as well as the 2008 MLS Cup. After three seasons with the club, Columbus declined the option to extend his contract at the end of the 2010 MLS season.

Padula is currently developing the Schelotto & Padula Soccer Academy, a world-class soccer academy based in Columbus, Ohio, with former teammate and fellow Argentinian Guillermo Barros Schelotto. The Academy will start sessions in July 2011.

Honors

Columbus Crew

• Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2008
• Major League Soccer Supporter's Shield (2): 2008, 2009

External links

• MLS player profile
• Gino Padula career stats at Soccerbase
• (Spanish) Argentine Primera statistics
• Schelotto & Padula Soccer Academy Official Site