Craig Gardner

Craig Gardner
For the American author, see Craig Shaw Gardner.
Craig Gardner
Gardner, Craig.jpg
Gardner after training, 2007
Personal information
Full name Craig Gardner[1]
Date of birth 25 November 1986 (1986-11-25) (age 24)
Place of birth Solihull, England
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[2]
Playing position Central midfielder
Club information
Current club Sunderland
Number 8
Youth career
Aston Villa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2010 Aston Villa 59 (5)
2010–2011 Birmingham City 42 (9)
2011– Sunderland 5 (1)
National team
2007–2009 England U21 14 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:11, 23 May 2011 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Craig Gardner (born 25 November 1986)[2] is an English footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Premier League club Sunderland. A versatile midfielder, Gardner can play in many different positions, although central midfield is his preferred position. Gardner began his career at Aston Villa, before switching to city rivals Birmingham City in 2010.

Contents

Playing career

Aston Villa

Born in Solihull, West Midlands,[1] Gardner turned professional on 31 January 2005. Before Gardner made his Premier League debut on 26 December 2005 he played for the youth team Arden Forest. This was before joining Aston Villa's youth system which then later took him to his debut, when he came on as a substitute for Steven Davis against Everton at Villa Park. He scored his first professional goal for Villa in the 3–1 away win on 14 April against Middlesbrough.[3] He also netted a contender for goal of the month on the last day of the season away to Bolton Wanderers.[4] After a series of appearances Villa Manager Martin O'Neill entered contract talks with Gardner.[5]

In August 2007, Gardner signed a new four year deal, which ran until June 2011. On 1 October 2007 he scored two goals in two games with two free-kicks. First he scored away to Tottenham Hotspur in a 4–4 draw[6] and then the winner against West Ham 5 days later with a deflected free-kick.[7]

On 1 December 2007, Gardner scored the opener in a home match against Arsenal. Villa went on to lose the match 2–1.[8] Gardner has often played in the right-back slot, and impressed both his manager, Martin O'Neill, and captain, Gareth Barry, who said that Gardner could be a key player for years to come.

Gardner made just one appearance for Villa in the 2009–10 due to a groin injury. On 4 January 2010 it was announced that Birmingham City were preparing a £3.5 million bid. However it was revealed that Aston Villa had turned down the bid for the player. However, the club later offered a second deal including add-ons that was accepted by Aston Villa. He made exactly 80 appearances for Villa in all competitions.

Birmingham City

Gardner signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Birmingham City on 26 January 2010 for a fee reported as £3m plus £500,000 in add-ons.[9] He made his debut on 7 February as a 68th-minute substitute, and set up the first of Kevin Phillips' goals as Birmingham came back to beat Midlands rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1.[10] He scored his first goal for the club against Everton on 13 March.[11] Towards the end of the season Gardner was preferred to Sebastian Larsson on the right of midfield.[12] Restored to his favoured central position, he scored twice in the first home game of the 2010–11 season as Birmingham came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 2–1,[13] and scored again in the next game away at Bolton Wanderers.[14] Gardner's winning goal in extra time against West Ham United took Birmingham City through to the 2011 Football League Cup Final.[15] He was the club's top goalscorer in the 2010–11 season with eight League goals, ten in all competitions,[16] as Birmingham were relegated to the Championship.

Sunderland

Gardner alongside Lee Cattermole in a pre-seaon friendly against York

Gardner signed a three-year deal with Sunderland for an undisclosed fee, believed by BBC Sport to be about £6 million, on 30 June 2011.[17] He made his debut for Sunderland during a pre-season friendly against York City on 13 July. His first goal came in a pre-season friendly against Darlington. Gardner made his league debut as a substitute in Sunderland's home defeat to Newcastle on 20th August. He scored his first competitive goal in a 4-0 home win over Stoke City as Sunderland won their first match of the season.

Personal life

Gardner said he was a lifelong Birmingham City supporter.[18] He had previously claimed (while playing for Aston Villa) to have been a Villa fan since childhood.[19] His younger brother Gary Gardner also played for England at youth level and turned professional with Aston Villa.[20][21]

Career statistics

As of 24 September 2011[22]
Season Club Division League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals A yellow card A red card
2005–06 Aston Villa Premier League 8 0 1 0 0 0 – – 9 0 3 0
2006–07 13 2 0 0 0 0 – – 13 2 1 0
2007–08 23 3 1 0 1 0 – – 25 3 4 0
2008–09 14 0 4 0 1 0 11 1 30 1 5 0
2009–10 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 1 0
Aston Villa total 59 5 6 0 3 0 12 1 80 6 14 0
2009–10 Birmingham City Premier League 13 1 2 0 0 0 – – 15 1 4 0
2010–11 29 8 2 0 6 2 – – 37 10 7 2
Birmingham City total 42 9 4 0 6 2 – – 52 11 11 2
2011–12 Sunderland Premier League 5 1 0 0 1 0 – – 6 1 2 0
Sunderland total 5 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 1 2 0
Career total 106 15 10 0 10 2 12 1 138 18 27 2

Honours

Aston Villa
Birmingham City
England
  • UEFA European Under-21 Championship: runner-up 2009

References

  1. ^ a b Hugman, Barry J., ed (2007). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2007–08. Edinburgh: Mainstream. p. 155. ISBN 978-1-84596-246-3. 
  2. ^ a b "Player Profiles: Craig Gardner". Sunderland A.F.C. http://www.bcfc.com/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10412~36072,00.html. Retrieved 16 March 2011. 
  3. ^ "Middlesbrough 1–3 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 14 April 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6534775.stm. Retrieved 3 September 2009. 
  4. ^ "Bolton 2–2 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 13 May 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6627777.stm. Retrieved 2 September 2009. 
  5. ^ Gardner ready to sign Villa deal
  6. ^ "Tottenham 4–4 Aston Villa". BBC Sport. 1 October 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7008206.stm. Retrieved 3 September 2009. 
  7. ^ "Aston Villa 1–0 West Ham". BBC Sport. 6 October 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7019621.stm. Retrieved 3 September 2009. 
  8. ^ "Aston Villa 1–2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 1 December 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7110956.stm. Retrieved 3 September 2009. 
  9. ^ Walker, Andy (26 January 2010). "Craig Gardner joins Birmingham City from Aston Villa for £3.5m". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2010/01/26/craig-gardner-joins-birmingham-city-from-aston-villa-for-3-5m-65233-25689227/. Retrieved 8 February 2010. 
  10. ^ Tattum, Colin (8 February 2010). "Birmingham City 2, Wolves 1: Colin Tattum's big match verdict". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2010/02/08/birmingham-city-2-wolves-1-colin-tattum-s-big-match-verdict-97319-25784043/2/. Retrieved 8 February 2010. 
  11. ^ Roopanarine, Les (13 March 2010). "Birmingham 2–2 Everton". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8564670.stm. Retrieved 13 March 2010. 
  12. ^ Tattum, Colin (26 July 2010). "Sebastian Larsson reveals why he's the wing man for Blues". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-news/2010/07/26/birmingham-city-sebastian-larsson-reveals-why-he-s-the-wing-man-for-blues-97319-26930162/. Retrieved 22 September 2010. 
  13. ^ Tattum, Colin (23 August 2010). "Birmingham City 2, Blackburn Rovers 1". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/birmingham-city-fc/birmingham-city-fc-match-reports/2010/08/23/birmingham-city-2-blackburn-rovers-1-colin-tattum-s-big-match-verdict-97319-27115898/. Retrieved 22 September 2010. 
  14. ^ Whyatt, Chris (29 August 2010). "Bolton 2–2 Birmingham". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8946659.stm. Retrieved 22 September 2010. 
  15. ^ McNulty, Phil (26 January 2011). "Birmingham 3–1 West Ham (agg 4–3)". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/9362794.stm. Retrieved 27 January 2011. 
  16. ^ "Birmingham: Player Appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. http://www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=291&comp_id=1#teamTabs=stats. Retrieved 4 June 2011.  Select season required via dropdown menu.
  17. ^ "Sunderland sign Craig Gardner from Birmingham". BBC Sport. 30 June 2011. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13941223.stm. Retrieved 8 July 2011. 
  18. ^ "Craig Gardner insists Blues won't regret signing him". Birmingham Mail. 27 January 2010. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2010/01/27/birmingham-city-craig-gardner-insists-blues-won-t-regret-signing-him-97319-25693566/. Retrieved 22 September 2010. 
  19. ^ "Mat Kendrick: So was Craig Gardner a boyhood Villan or a Bluenose?". Birmingham Post. 8 February 2010. http://www.birminghampost.net/midlands-birmingham-sport/2010/02/08/mat-kendrick-so-was-craig-gardner-a-boyhood-villan-or-a-bluenose-65233-25788106/. Retrieved 25 May 2011. 
  20. ^ Howell, Bill (25 April 2009). "Gary Gardner impresses for Villa reserves and academy". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2009/04/25/gary-gardner-impresses-for-villa-reserves-and-academy-97319-23468396/. Retrieved 8 February 2010. 
  21. ^ Smith, Lisa (20 October 2009). "Brother of Aston Villa's Craig Gardner signs first contract with club". Birmingham Mail. http://www.birminghammail.net/birmingham-sport/aston-villa-fc/aston-villa-news/2009/10/20/brother-of-aston-villa-s-craig-gardner-signs-first-contract-with-club-97319-24974505/. Retrieved 8 February 2010. 
  22. ^ "Craig Gardner". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=43067. Retrieved 23 May 2011. 

External links

v · d · eEngland squad – 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
1 Hart • 2 Cranie • 3 Taylor • 4 Cattermole • 5 Stearman • 6 Onuoha • 7 Milner • 8 Gardner • 9 Agbonlahor • 10 Noble • 11 Johnson • 12 Muamba • 13 Lewis • 14 Walcott • 15 Rodwell • 16 Tomkins • 17 Richards • 18 Mancienne • 19 Gibbs • 20 Driver • 21 Campbell • 22 Loach • 23 Rose • Coach: Pearce
 England
v · d · eSunderland A.F.C. – current squad

1 Gordon · 2 Bardsley · 4 Turner · 5 Brown · 6 Cattermole · 7 Larsson · 8 Gardner · 9 Campbell · 10 Wickham · 11 Richardson · 14 Colback · 15 Vaughan · 16 O'Shea · 17 Ji · 18 Meyler · 19 Bramble · 20 Westwood · 21 Tounkara · 22 Mignolet · 23 McClean · 26 Cook · 27 Elmohamady · 28 Sessègnon · 40 Laing · 52 Bendtner · Manager: Bruce

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Craig Gardner — Situation actuelle Club actuel …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Craig Gardner —  Spielerinformationen Geburtstag 25. November 1986 Geburtsort …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gardner (Familienname) — Gardner ist ein Familienname. Bekannte Namensträger Inhaltsverzeichnis A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Craig Gordon —  Spielerinformationen Voller Name Craig Sinclair Gordon Geburtstag 31. Dezember 1982 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Craig Shaw Gardner — For the English footballer, see Craig Gardner. Craig Shaw Gardner (born July 2, 1949) is an American author, best known for producing fantasy parodies similar to those of Terry Pratchett. He was also a member of the Swordsmen and Sorcerers Guild… …   Wikipedia

  • Craig Shaw Gardner — (* 2. Juli 1949 in Rochester, New York) ist ein US amerikanischer Fantasyautor. Leben Gardner wurde vor allem wegen seiner Dämonologie , einer Romanreihe um den Magier Ebenezum mit Magieallergie und seinen unfähigen Lehrling Wuntvor, und seinen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gardner (surname) — Gardner is a surname. Some sources claim that it is an occupational surname that comes from the word gardener. [ [http://www.thinkbabynames.com/meaning/0/Gardner Baby Name Gardner Origin and Meaning of Gardner ] ] Other sources claim that it is… …   Wikipedia

  • Craig Kilborn — Born August 24, 1962 (1962 08 24) (age 49) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. Medium Television Nationality …   Wikipedia

  • Craig Gordon — Personal information Full name Craig Sinclair Gordon …   Wikipedia

  • Craig Levein — Personal information Full name Craig William Levein Date of birth 22 October 1964 ( …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”