Ricardo Gardner

Ricardo Gardner

Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Gardner
Date of birth	25 September 1978 (1978-09-25)
Place of birth	Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Playing position	Left winger/Left wingback
Club information
Current club	Bolton Wanderers
Number	11
Youth career
1992–1997	Harbour View
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1997–1998	Harbour View	10	(2)
1998–	Bolton Wanderers	347	(21)
2011	→ Preston North End (loan)	4	(0)
National team‡
1997–2009	Jamaica	109	(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, 29 July 2009 (UTC)

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.

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. 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.

Bolton Wanderers

Gardner immediately established himself a place in the first team for Bolton. He scored 60 seconds after coming on for his debut. 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 lineup 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.

Gardner made his 400th appearance for Bolton in a 3–0 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, which he signed on 5 August.

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.

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.

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
1998–99	Bolton Wanderers	First Division	33	2	1	0	3	1	-		37	3
1999–2000			29	5	4	0	9	1	-		42	6
2000–01			35	3	2	0	-		-		37	3
2001–02		Premier League	31	3	2	0	1	0	-		34	3
2002–03			32	2	-		-		-		32	2
2003–04			22	0	-		4	0	-		26	0
2004–05			33	0	4	0	1	0	-		38	0
2005–06			30	0	4	0	3	0	7	0	44	0
2006–07			18	0	3	0	-		-		21	0
2007–08			26	0	-		-		4	1	30	1
2008–09			29	4	1	0	1	0	-		31	4
2009–10			21	1	3	0	2	0	-		26	1
2010–11			4	0	0	0	1	0	-		5	0
2010–11	Preston North End (loan)	Championship	4	0	0	0	0	0	-		4	0
2011–12	Bolton Wanderers	Premier League	4	0	0	0	2	0	-		6	0
Total	England		351	20	24	0	27	2	11	1	413	23
Career total			351	20	24	0	27	2	11	1	413	23

Statistics correct as of matches played 29 October 2011

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.

Honours

• Caribbean Cup: 1

1998

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

Personal life

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

External links

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

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