RICARDO GARDNER
DOB CLUB BOLTON WANDERERS
HEIGHT 1.75m POSITION MIDFIELDER
WEIGHT 69.92kg SQUAD NUMBER 11PROFILE
The gifted Jamaican arrived in England following the 1998 World Cup finals after clearly impressing former Trotters boss Colin Todd, who paid Harbour View £1million for his services. The attacking midfielder has the skill to unlock defences and he loves taking on opponents. A key member of Sam Allardyce's squad.
At the tender age 14, Ricardo 'Bibi' Gardner was already a starter for Harbour View of Jamaica's National Premiere League, and made his international debut soon after. He is predominantly a left-sided player, starting at the left-back position for Jamaica and left midfield for his club.
A former Manning Cup player for Wolmers Boys School, the young and talented Gardner was a stand out for the Reggae Boyz at the World Cup in France. He assisted on Jamaica's first ever World Cup goal, when with a brilliant cross from the left he found the head of teammate, Robbie Earle. Earle made no mistake in finding the back of Croatia's net.Gardner's stellar performance in France did not go unnoticed, as shortly thereafter he signed with Bolton Wanderers FC of the English 1st Division. He became the first locally grown Jamaican, in over fifty years, to sign a professional contract with an English League club.His time at Bolton has been spectacular. He has provided the fans with memorable performances and scored fabulous goals. In fact he scored on his club debut against Hawthorns, with just two minutes left on the clock. A serious knee injury in the latter stages of the season saw the player being sidelined for several months. He has since fully recovered.With Gardner back to full fitness, the fans will no doubt be once again treated to his arsenal of skills as he patrols up and down the left flank. Those skills will come in quite handy as the Reggae Boyz make a run for a berth in the 2002 World Cup finals.
