Robert Earnshaw
Encyclopedia
Robert Earnshaw is a Welsh
footballer who plays for Cardiff City
and Wales
. He is the only player to have scored a hat-trick
in the English Premier League, Championship
, League One
, League Two
(or the divisions under their previous names), the League Cup
, the FA Cup
and for his country at International level.
Earnshaw was born in Mufulira
, Zambia
to an English father and a Zambian mother. He spent the first four years of his life in Mufulira, before moving to Bedwas
, south Wales with his mother in 1985. Earnshaw began his professional playing career with Cardiff City in 1998, having joined the club as a YTS
trainee the previous year. During his first spell at Cardiff he made 205 first team appearances, scoring 105 goals. Eligible to represent either Zambia
or Wales, Earnshaw made his debut for the latter in 2002.
Moving up two divisions in 2004, Earnshaw joined Premier League side West Bromwich Albion
, finishing the 2004-05 season as top goalscorer. Earnshaw signed for Norwich City
during the January 2006 transfer window
, staying at Carrow Road
until the end of the 2006-07 season. At Derby County
the following season, Earnshaw spent what he called his worst season in football, scoring one goal in his 22 appearances. Earnshaw's three year contract with Nottingham Forest
expired in June 2011. During his time at Forest, Earnshaw scored 35 goals in 87 appearances. In June 2011, Earnshaw left Forest on a free transfer and signed a two year contract with his old club, Cardiff City. Since leaving Cardiff City in 2004, Earnshaw's transfer fees totalled £12,650,000.
on 6 April 1981. When he was five, his family moved to Malawi
where David Earnshaw took charge of another coal mine and his youngest son began school. Again, the family's stay was to be a short one. In September 1990, following the death of her husband, Rita moved the Earnshaw family to Bedwas
, a small Welsh town to the north of Cardiff
, where they lived initially with her sister. Earnshaw still has a house there.
"It was the first time I had been away from Africa." he recalls. "It was just completely different, from one extreme to another. It was much colder as well, just every little thing was different, everyone spoke English over here and although I could speak a little bit I had to learn. But when you're a kid you just get on with it."
It was in Wales that he began playing football, kicking a ball around with friends between and after classes at Cardinal Newman RC School
, Pontypridd
, the school he moved on to after a spell at St. Helen's Primary. Cardinal Newman's was a rugby union
-playing school so Earnshaw's first organised football match came at the age of 12 with local youth side Llanbradach
. "We didn't win anything, we weren't the best," he says. "I only played one year and then I moved to GE Wales, which was a better team and we won a few local titles. I scored a lot of goals, 80 one season, 60 another when I was 14, 15, 16."
youth team coach, invited Earnshaw to training and, on 1 August, he signed a one-year YTS contract at Ninian Park
. He came through the club's youth development programme and became a full-time professional in August 1998, despite the attentions of his heroes Manchester United
. Earnshaw made his mark immediately with a superb equaliser at Hartlepool United
on the opening day of the season. Earnshaw was loaned to Greenock Morton
by Frank Burrows
to gain experience and toughen up. He also at one stage had a trial at Middlesbrough
under Bryan Robson
. The experience gave Earnshaw the motivation to succeed and on his return he soon became one of the Bluebird fans' biggest heroes. He had already been capped by Wales
at youth and under-21 level
, but his exploits in Cardiff City's promotion campaigns attracted the attention of national coach Mark Hughes
. Earnshaw duly exploded onto the international scene, scoring the winning goal on his debut for Wales against Germany
at the Millennium Stadium
in May 2002; he was also named man of the match. A few months later Earnshaw was named Young Welsh Footballer of the Year, and was named in the PFA
Division Two Team of the Year for 2002–03 after a prolific season saw him score 35 goals in all competitions, with 31 scored in the league meaning he broke the 56-year old club record of Stan Richards
. Earnshaw became a key member of the Wales squad during the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign. He staked his claim for a regular slot in the starting line-up with a hat-trick in the 4–0 friendly win over Scotland
in February 2004. At the end of 2003–04, Earnshaw was named in the First Division team of the year. Several top clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool
and Celtic
sent their scouts to look at Earnshaw as his reputation spread. He scored 105 goals in his 205 first team appearances for Cardiff City, including numerous hat-tricks in Divisions Two and Three, as well as the FA Cup
and League Cup
.
for £3 million, a fee that could have reached a maximum of £3.62 million with performance-related add-ons. His agent Mel Eves
was fined 30,000 Swiss franc
s (£12,250) by Fifa
in July 2007 over his role in the transfer. Eves was found guilty of acting for both his client (Earnshaw) and the buying club (Albion) in the deal. Earnshaw made his Albion début in a 3–0 defeat at Liverpool
on 11 September 2004, coming on as a second-half substitute but making little impact. It took Earnshaw seven games to notch his first Albion goal, netting twice in the 2–2 draw at Southampton
on November 6, 2004. His first and only Premier League hat-trick
came against Charlton Athletic
on 19 March 2005. Although key goals such as these helped the club retain their Premiership status, manager Bryan Robson
preferred to use him from the bench as an impact player rather than as a starter. Nevertheless, Earnshaw finished as Albion's top goalscorer for that season with 14 goals, earning him the Ronnie Allen
trophy. He remained in the squad for 2005–06, albeit that West Brom signed several additional forwards including Diomansy Kamara
and Nathan Ellington
and competition was even more fierce. In December 2005, Earnshaw submitted two transfer requests, and both were rejected. However in January 2006 manager Bryan Robson
said that Earnshaw would be allowed to leave, assuming there was a fair transfer fee on offer.
for a fee of £2.75 million (rising to £3.5 million). He opened his Norwich goalscoring account with a brace, late on in Norwich's 3–0 home win against Brighton on 14 February 2006. Earnshaw scored six more goals in the remaining matches of the 2005–06 season. By January 2007, Earnshaw was top-scorer in the division with 17 goals, but suffered a severe groin injury in training, that looked to have put him out of action for the rest of the season. However he returned to first team action in April 2007 to score his 18th and 19th goals of the season against Leicester City
and Sheffield Wednesday
respectively to cap off a truly remarkable recovery from the injury.
Derby County
broke their transfer record, previously held by the £3 million transfer of Seth Johnson
from Crewe Alexandra
, by signing Earnshaw from Norwich City for a fee of £3.5 million on 29 June 2007. He made his debut for the Rams in a 2–2 draw against Portsmouth
on 11 August 2007. Earnshaw struggled to make an impact at Derby and was in and out of the side at the start of the season before being dropped. His first goal for the club came in a in a 4–1 FA Cup
defeat to Preston North End
on 26 January 2008, by which time the man who signed him, Billy Davies
, had left the club and been replaced by Paul Jewell
. It wasn't until 28 April 2008 that he scored his first Premier League goal for the club, in the 6–2 home defeat to Arsenal. In a torrid season, Earnshaw made just seven starts in his debut season at Derby, with a further 17 appearances as sub. He was left out of the squad for the final game of the season against Reading
when it was revealed that Jewell had accepted a bid from two unspecified clubs
later revealed to be Nottingham Forest
and Sheffield United
, bringing to an end what Earnshaw later stated was one of his worst seasons in football.
for £2.65m, signing a three year deal. He made his competitive debut in a 0–0 draw with Reading
on 10 August 2008, scoring his first competitive goals for Forest in their League Cup
first-round tie at home to Morecambe
, getting two on 13 August 2008. Earnshaw's first League goal for Forest came in their 3–2 victory over Watford
in the Championship
, at the City Ground
on 23 August 2008. He scored his first hatrick for Nottingham Forest on 5 December 2009 in a 5–1 win over local rivals Leicester City
.
The 2010-11 season saw Earnshaw struggle to find his feet early on despite some good performances, scoring only one in thirteen matches. His scoring picked up though, and he scored six goals in the last twelve games. This included two goals in the 5-2 win against Derby County
at the City Ground
, as well as the only goal in Forest's first ever victory at Pride Park Stadium
against Derby. Earnshaw scored Forest's only goal in the 3-1 loss to Swansea City
in the away leg of their play off semi final, also hitting the post in the dying minutes of the game, which would have levelled the scoreline at 2-2.
In total he has scored 35 goals in 87 appearances for Forest, making him one of their most successful strikers in recent years.
on a free transfer, following unsuccessful talks with Nottingham Forest
regarding contract renewal. Earnshaw would become new Cardiff City
manager Malky Mackay
's fourth free transfer signing since joining the Bluebirds from Watford
. Earnshaw made his second Cardiff debut in a 1-0 win over West Ham United
on 7 August. Earnshaws' first goal since his return to the Bluebirds came the following Sunday in a 3-1 home victory over Bristol City
in the Severnside derby
. He scored his 200th career goal in a 1-1 draw with Burnley
on 20 August, scoring the equaliser.
. He has represented Wales on more than 50 occasions scoring a hat-trick for his country in a win against Scotland
in February 2004 and in 2011 captaining the side against Scotland in their Home Nations tie. On 6 September 2011, in a Euro 2012 qualifier against England
, he came on as a substitute with his team 1-0 down, and missed an 'open goal' from six yards. England held on to win the match 1-0. He is said to contemplating international retirement.
|1997–98
||rowspan="3"|Cardiff City
||rowspan="2"|Third Division
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|1998–99
||5||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||6||1
|-
|1999–00
||Second Division
||6||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||6||1
|-
|1999–00
||Greenock Morton
||First Division
||3||2||1||0||colspan="2"|-||4||2
|-
|2000–01
||rowspan="5"|Cardiff City
||Third Division
||36||19||4||6||1||0||41||25
|-
|2001–02
||rowspan="2"|Second Division
||32||12||3||2||1||1||34||15
|-
|2002–03
||49||31||4||1||2||3||55||35
|-
|2003–04
||First Division
||46||21||1||0||2||5||49||26
|-
|2004–05
||Championship
||4||1||colspan="2"|-||1||1||5||2
|-
|2004–05
||rowspan="2"|West Bromwich Albion
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||31||11||3||3||colspan="2"|-||34||14
|-
|2005–06
||12||1||1||0||3||2||16||3
|-
|2005–06
||rowspan="2"|Norwich City
||rowspan="2"|Championship
||15||8||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||8
|-
|2006–07
||30||19||1||0||1||0||32||19
|-
|2007–08||Derby County
||Premier League||22||1||2||1||1||0||25||2
|-
|2008–09
||rowspan="3"|Nottingham Forest
||rowspan="4"|Championship
||32||12||2||2||2||3||36||17
|-
|2009–10||34||17||1||0||2||0||37||17
|-
|2010–11||36||9||2||0||0||0||38||9
|-
|2011-12||rowspan="1"|Cardiff City
||10||3||0||0||1||0||11||3
|-
408||167||25||15||17||15||445||201
3||2||1||0||colspan="2"|-||4||2
412||169||24||15||16||15||449||201
Individual
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
footballer who plays for Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
and Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
. He is the only player to have scored a hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
in the English Premier League, Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, League Two
Football League Two
Football League Two is the third-highest division of The Football League and fourth-highest division overall in the English football league system....
(or the divisions under their previous names), the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and for his country at International level.
Earnshaw was born in Mufulira
Mufulira
Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge...
, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
to an English father and a Zambian mother. He spent the first four years of his life in Mufulira, before moving to Bedwas
Bedwas
Bedwas is a town two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
, south Wales with his mother in 1985. Earnshaw began his professional playing career with Cardiff City in 1998, having joined the club as a YTS
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...
trainee the previous year. During his first spell at Cardiff he made 205 first team appearances, scoring 105 goals. Eligible to represent either Zambia
Zambia national football team
The Zambia national football team represents the country of Zambia in the sport of association football and is governed by the Football Association of Zambia. Before independence they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo as copper is one of...
or Wales, Earnshaw made his debut for the latter in 2002.
Moving up two divisions in 2004, Earnshaw joined Premier League side West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
, finishing the 2004-05 season as top goalscorer. Earnshaw signed for Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
during the January 2006 transfer window
Transfer window
The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...
, staying at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
until the end of the 2006-07 season. At Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
the following season, Earnshaw spent what he called his worst season in football, scoring one goal in his 22 appearances. Earnshaw's three year contract with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
expired in June 2011. During his time at Forest, Earnshaw scored 35 goals in 87 appearances. In June 2011, Earnshaw left Forest on a free transfer and signed a two year contract with his old club, Cardiff City. Since leaving Cardiff City in 2004, Earnshaw's transfer fees totalled £12,650,000.
Early life
Earnshaw, was born on the outskirts of the north central Zambian mining town of MufuliraMufulira
Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. It grew up in the 1930s around the site of the Mufulira Copper Mine on its north-western edge...
on 6 April 1981. When he was five, his family moved to Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
where David Earnshaw took charge of another coal mine and his youngest son began school. Again, the family's stay was to be a short one. In September 1990, following the death of her husband, Rita moved the Earnshaw family to Bedwas
Bedwas
Bedwas is a town two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly county borough, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire....
, a small Welsh town to the north of Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, where they lived initially with her sister. Earnshaw still has a house there.
"It was the first time I had been away from Africa." he recalls. "It was just completely different, from one extreme to another. It was much colder as well, just every little thing was different, everyone spoke English over here and although I could speak a little bit I had to learn. But when you're a kid you just get on with it."
It was in Wales that he began playing football, kicking a ball around with friends between and after classes at Cardinal Newman RC School
Cardinal Newman RC School
Cardinal Newman Roman Catholic School is an English-medium Roman Catholic comprehensive school in the village of Rhydyfelin near Pontypridd, in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, United Kingdom. Its most famous past student is Robert Earnshaw, currently playing for Cardiff City Football Club who attended...
, Pontypridd
Pontypridd
Pontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
, the school he moved on to after a spell at St. Helen's Primary. Cardinal Newman's was a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
-playing school so Earnshaw's first organised football match came at the age of 12 with local youth side Llanbradach
Llanbradach
Llanbradach is a village in the Welsh county borough of Caerphilly, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, south Wales less than 3 miles north of the town of Caerphilly....
. "We didn't win anything, we weren't the best," he says. "I only played one year and then I moved to GE Wales, which was a better team and we won a few local titles. I scored a lot of goals, 80 one season, 60 another when I was 14, 15, 16."
Cardiff City
In 1997 Gavin Tait, then Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
youth team coach, invited Earnshaw to training and, on 1 August, he signed a one-year YTS contract at Ninian Park
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a football stadium in Leckwith, Cardiff, Wales. Until 2009, it was the home ground of Cardiff City F.C., who compete in the English Football League Championship...
. He came through the club's youth development programme and became a full-time professional in August 1998, despite the attentions of his heroes Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
. Earnshaw made his mark immediately with a superb equaliser at Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United F.C.
Hartlepool United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Hartlepool that currently play in League One. The team won promotion to League One in the 2006–07 season...
on the opening day of the season. Earnshaw was loaned to Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
by Frank Burrows
Frank Burrows
Frank Burrows is a Scottish soccer manager, and former player.-Biography:Frank Burrows began his football career at Scottish club Raith Rovers. In 1965 he moved south to England and joined Scunthorpe United. Impressive performances as a defender for Scunthorpe led to him being signed by Swindon...
to gain experience and toughen up. He also at one stage had a trial at Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
under Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
. The experience gave Earnshaw the motivation to succeed and on his return he soon became one of the Bluebird fans' biggest heroes. He had already been capped by Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
at youth and under-21 level
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
, but his exploits in Cardiff City's promotion campaigns attracted the attention of national coach Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
. Earnshaw duly exploded onto the international scene, scoring the winning goal on his debut for Wales against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
in May 2002; he was also named man of the match. A few months later Earnshaw was named Young Welsh Footballer of the Year, and was named in the PFA
Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers' Association is the trade union for professional footballers in England and Wales. The world's oldest professional sport trade union, it has 4,000 members....
Division Two Team of the Year for 2002–03 after a prolific season saw him score 35 goals in all competitions, with 31 scored in the league meaning he broke the 56-year old club record of Stan Richards
Stan Richards (footballer)
Stanley Verdun "Stan" Richards was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Career:Although he was born in Cardiff, Stan Richards began his career playing amateur football in London before joining his hometown team in 1946...
. Earnshaw became a key member of the Wales squad during the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign. He staked his claim for a regular slot in the starting line-up with a hat-trick in the 4–0 friendly win over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in February 2004. At the end of 2003–04, Earnshaw was named in the First Division team of the year. Several top clubs including Manchester United, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
sent their scouts to look at Earnshaw as his reputation spread. He scored 105 goals in his 205 first team appearances for Cardiff City, including numerous hat-tricks in Divisions Two and Three, as well as the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
.
West Bromwich Albion
In 2004 Earnshaw was transferred from Cardiff to West Bromwich AlbionWest Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
for £3 million, a fee that could have reached a maximum of £3.62 million with performance-related add-ons. His agent Mel Eves
Mel Eves
Melvyn James "Mel" Eves is a former English professional footballer who had a long career playing as a striker and left sided attacker, mostly known for his time with Wolverhampton Wanderers.-Career:...
was fined 30,000 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s (£12,250) by Fifa
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in July 2007 over his role in the transfer. Eves was found guilty of acting for both his client (Earnshaw) and the buying club (Albion) in the deal. Earnshaw made his Albion début in a 3–0 defeat at Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
on 11 September 2004, coming on as a second-half substitute but making little impact. It took Earnshaw seven games to notch his first Albion goal, netting twice in the 2–2 draw at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
on November 6, 2004. His first and only Premier League hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
came against Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
on 19 March 2005. Although key goals such as these helped the club retain their Premiership status, manager Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
preferred to use him from the bench as an impact player rather than as a starter. Nevertheless, Earnshaw finished as Albion's top goalscorer for that season with 14 goals, earning him the Ronnie Allen
Ronnie Allen
Ronald "Ronnie" Allen was an English international football player and manager. He was a professional footballer for nineteen years, between 1946 and 1964, making 638 appearances in the Football League, and scoring 276 goals. He also won five caps for England national team...
trophy. He remained in the squad for 2005–06, albeit that West Brom signed several additional forwards including Diomansy Kamara
Diomansy Kamara
Diomansy Mehdi Moustapha Kamara is a professional football striker, currently playing for Eskişehirspor...
and Nathan Ellington
Nathan Ellington
Nathan Levi Fontaine Ellington is an English footballer who plays a striker for Championship side Ipswich Town.-Non-league and Bristol Rovers:...
and competition was even more fierce. In December 2005, Earnshaw submitted two transfer requests, and both were rejected. However in January 2006 manager Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson OBE is an English football manager and a former player. He is best known for playing in midfield for Manchester United, where he was the longest serving captain in club history. He was the manager of Sheffield United, being relieved of his first team duties at the club in February 2008...
said that Earnshaw would be allowed to leave, assuming there was a fair transfer fee on offer.
Norwich City
On transfer deadline day, 31 January 2006, Earnshaw signed a three-and-a-half year contract for Norwich CityNorwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
for a fee of £2.75 million (rising to £3.5 million). He opened his Norwich goalscoring account with a brace, late on in Norwich's 3–0 home win against Brighton on 14 February 2006. Earnshaw scored six more goals in the remaining matches of the 2005–06 season. By January 2007, Earnshaw was top-scorer in the division with 17 goals, but suffered a severe groin injury in training, that looked to have put him out of action for the rest of the season. However he returned to first team action in April 2007 to score his 18th and 19th goals of the season against Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
and Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
respectively to cap off a truly remarkable recovery from the injury.
Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
broke their transfer record, previously held by the £3 million transfer of Seth Johnson
Seth Johnson
Seth Art Maurice Johnson is a former England international footballer, who is currently without a club after his second spell as a player with Derby County ended in 2007.-Playing career:...
from Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...
, by signing Earnshaw from Norwich City for a fee of £3.5 million on 29 June 2007. He made his debut for the Rams in a 2–2 draw against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
on 11 August 2007. Earnshaw struggled to make an impact at Derby and was in and out of the side at the start of the season before being dropped. His first goal for the club came in a in a 4–1 FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
defeat to Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
on 26 January 2008, by which time the man who signed him, Billy Davies
Billy Davies
William McIntosh "Billy" Davies is a Glasgow-born Scottish football manager, noted for his achievement in the Football League Championship with East Midlands Rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest and Preston North End which has led him to be described, in 2011, as "probably the best manager at...
, had left the club and been replaced by Paul Jewell
Paul Jewell
Paul Steven Jewell is a former English footballer who is currently the manager of Ipswich Town.His playing career started with Liverpool before moving to Wigan Athletic and then a ten-year spell with Bradford City...
. It wasn't until 28 April 2008 that he scored his first Premier League goal for the club, in the 6–2 home defeat to Arsenal. In a torrid season, Earnshaw made just seven starts in his debut season at Derby, with a further 17 appearances as sub. He was left out of the squad for the final game of the season against Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
when it was revealed that Jewell had accepted a bid from two unspecified clubs
later revealed to be Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
and Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
, bringing to an end what Earnshaw later stated was one of his worst seasons in football.
Nottingham Forest
In May 2008, less than a year after signing for Derby, Earnshaw joined Nottingham ForestNottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
for £2.65m, signing a three year deal. He made his competitive debut in a 0–0 draw with Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on 10 August 2008, scoring his first competitive goals for Forest in their League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
first-round tie at home to Morecambe
Morecambe F.C.
Morecambe Football Club is an English football club based in Morecambe, Lancashire. It plays its football in League Two, the fourth division of English football, having been promoted in 2007 for the first time in their history to the Football League. They played their home matches at Christie Park...
, getting two on 13 August 2008. Earnshaw's first League goal for Forest came in their 3–2 victory over Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
in the Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
on 23 August 2008. He scored his first hatrick for Nottingham Forest on 5 December 2009 in a 5–1 win over local rivals Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
.
The 2010-11 season saw Earnshaw struggle to find his feet early on despite some good performances, scoring only one in thirteen matches. His scoring picked up though, and he scored six goals in the last twelve games. This included two goals in the 5-2 win against Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
, as well as the only goal in Forest's first ever victory at Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium
Pride Park Stadium is an all-seater football stadium located on the Pride Park business park on the outskirts of Derby, England. It is the current home of Football League Championship club Derby County, who moved to the stadium from the Baseball Ground upon its opening in 1997...
against Derby. Earnshaw scored Forest's only goal in the 3-1 loss to Swansea City
Swansea City A.F.C.
Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position...
in the away leg of their play off semi final, also hitting the post in the dying minutes of the game, which would have levelled the scoreline at 2-2.
In total he has scored 35 goals in 87 appearances for Forest, making him one of their most successful strikers in recent years.
Return to Cardiff City
On 6 July 2011, Earnshaw rejoined boyhood club Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
on a free transfer, following unsuccessful talks with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
regarding contract renewal. Earnshaw would become new Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
manager Malky Mackay
Malky Mackay
Malcolm George "Malky" Mackay is a Scottish football manager and former player, who played as a central defender. He is currently the manager of Cardiff City. Mackay began his playing career in Scottish football, with Queen's Park and Celtic. He joined English side Norwich City in 1998, remaining...
's fourth free transfer signing since joining the Bluebirds from Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. Earnshaw made his second Cardiff debut in a 1-0 win over West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
on 7 August. Earnshaws' first goal since his return to the Bluebirds came the following Sunday in a 3-1 home victory over Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
in the Severnside derby
Severnside Derby
The Severnside derby is a local derby in football in the United Kingdom between Welsh club Cardiff City F.C. and English club Bristol City F.C..The term Severnside derby can also be given to a match between Cardiff City F.C...
. He scored his 200th career goal in a 1-1 draw with Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
on 20 August, scoring the equaliser.
International career
Earnshaw made his international debut at the Millenium Stadium in May 2002, scoring the winning goal against GermanyGermany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. He has represented Wales on more than 50 occasions scoring a hat-trick for his country in a win against Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
in February 2004 and in 2011 captaining the side against Scotland in their Home Nations tie. On 6 September 2011, in a Euro 2012 qualifier against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, he came on as a substitute with his team 1-0 down, and missed an 'open goal' from six yards. England held on to win the match 1-0. He is said to contemplating international retirement.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 May 2002 | Millennium Stadium Millennium Stadium The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage... , Cardiff Cardiff Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for... , Wales Wales Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²... |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
|
| 2. | 12 February 2003 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 3. | 11 October 2003 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 2–3 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2004 Qual. UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Group 9 Standings and results for Group 9 of the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying tournament.Group 9 consisted of Azerbaijan, Finland, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro and Wales. Serbia and Montenegro began the campaign as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, but officially changed their name... |
|
| 4. | 18 February 2004 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly | |
| 5. | 2–0 | 4–0 | ||||
| 6. | 3–0 | 4–0 | ||||
| 7. | 31 March 2004 | Stadium Puskás Ferenc Stadium Puskás Ferenc Ferenc Puskás Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Budapest, Hungary. It is situated on the Pest side of the capital between the Stadionok and the Keleti Palyaudvar metro stations. It is currently used mainly for football matches. The stadium is going to be demolished sometime in 2012 and... , Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... , Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The... |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 8. | 8 September 2004 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 2–2 | 2–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. | |
| 9. | 13 October 2004 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 1–0 | 2–3 | 2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. | |
| 10. | 27 May 2006 | UPC-Arena UPC-Arena The UPC-Arena in Graz, Styria, Austria, is the home of the football clubs SK Sturm Graz and Grazer AK.- History :... , Graz Graz The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students... , Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the... |
1–1 | 1–2 | Friendly | |
| 11. | 1–2 | 1–2 | ||||
| 12. | 11 October 2006 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales | 2–0 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qual. | |
| 13. | 17 October 2007 | Stadio Olimpico Stadio Olimpico (San Marino) Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by... , Serravalle, San Marino San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino... |
1–0 | 1–2 | UEFA Euro 2008 Qual. | |
| 14. | 29 May 2009 | Parc y Scarlets Parc y Scarlets Parc y Scarlets is a rugby union stadium in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, that opened in November 2008 as the new home of the Scarlets and Llanelli RFC. The ground replaced Stradey Park, the home of Llanelli's rugby teams for almost 130 years... , Llanelli Llanelli Llanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby... , Wales |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
| 15. | 25 May 2011 | Aviva Stadium Aviva Stadium The Aviva Stadium is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 50,000 spectators. The stadium is built on the site of the old Lansdowne Road venue, which was demolished in 2007, and replaces that stadium as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the... , Dublin, Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... |
1–0 | 1–3 | 2011 Nations Cup | |
| 16. | 27 May 2011 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Ireland | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2011 Nations Cup |
Career statistics
|-|1997–98
The Football League 1997-98
The 1997–1998 season was the 98th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Champions Nottingham Forest and runners-up Middlesbrough won promotion back to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Charlton Athletic won the playoffs to end an eight-year absence from the top...
||rowspan="3"|Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
||rowspan="2"|Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||5||0||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||5||0
|-
|1998–99
The Football League 1998-99
The 1998–1999 season was the 99th completed season of the The Football League.-First Division:Sunderland were crowned First Division champions with 105 points, then a record, having lost just three games all season, to prove right the many pundits who tipped them for promotion...
||5||1||1||0||colspan="2"|-||6||1
|-
|1999–00
The Football League 1999-2000
The 1999–2000 season was the 100th completed season of the The Football League.-Overview:The 1999–2000 season saw the league dispense with the traditional 1–11 numbering of players’ shirts in favour of squad numbers, a system that had been adopted by the Premier League a few seasons before...
||Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||6||1||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||6||1
|-
|1999–00
Scottish First Division 1999-00
The 1999-00 Scottish First Division was won by St Mirren, finishing as one of two promoted teams. Dunfermline Athletic were also promoted as runners-up as the Scottish Premier League was being expanded to twelve teams. Falkirk finished third and were meant to play a two-legged playoff match against...
||Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
||First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
||3||2||1||0||colspan="2"|-||4||2
|-
|2000–01
The Football League 2000-01
-Overview:The 2000–2001 season was the 101st completed season of the The Football League.- First Division playoffs :-First Division :...
||rowspan="5"|Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
||Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...
||36||19||4||6||1||0||41||25
|-
|2001–02
The Football League 2001-02
-Overview:The 2001–2002 season was the 102nd completed season of The Football League.-Final league tables and results :The tables below are reproduced here in the exact form that they can be found at website, with home and away statistics separated...
||rowspan="2"|Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...
||32||12||3||2||1||1||34||15
|-
|2002–03
The Football League 2002-03
The 2002–2003 season was the 103rd completed season of The Football League.-Football League First Division:Portsmouth won the First Division by some distance, passing manager Harry Redknapp’s old club, West Ham on the way down. Leicester City earned a somewhat controversial promotion, as...
||49||31||4||1||2||3||55||35
|-
|2003–04
The Football League 2003-04
The 2003–2004 season was the 104th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season was the last association football season in the football league where the divisions were known as "First", "Second", and "Third"...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||46||21||1||0||2||5||49||26
|-
|2004–05
The Football League 2004-05
The 2004–2005 season was the 105th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:This season the league was contested through three divisions. 2004–05 was the first season to feature the rebranded Football League. The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed the Football...
||Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||4||1||colspan="2"|-||1||1||5||2
|-
|2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
||rowspan="2"|West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||31||11||3||3||colspan="2"|-||34||14
|-
|2005–06
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
||12||1||1||0||3||2||16||3
|-
|2005–06
The Football League 2005-06
The 2005–2006 season was the 106th completed season of The Football League.-Overview:In this season of Football League, Reading was the only club in England to get more than 100 points and they also have won the League Championship...
||rowspan="2"|Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
||rowspan="2"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||15||8||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||15||8
|-
|2006–07
The Football League 2006-07
The 2006–2007 season was the 107th completed season of the Football League.-Overview:The Football League was contested through three Divisions in England and Wales. The divisions were the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two...
||30||19||1||0||1||0||32||19
|-
|2007–08||Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
||Premier League||22||1||2||1||1||0||25||2
|-
|2008–09
The Football League 2008-09
The Football League 2008–09, titled the Coca-Cola Football League, was the 109th completed season of the Football League. It began in August 2008 and concluded in May 2009, with the promotion play-off finals....
||rowspan="3"|Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
||rowspan="4"|Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
||32||12||2||2||2||3||36||17
|-
|2009–10||34||17||1||0||2||0||37||17
|-
|2010–11||36||9||2||0||0||0||38||9
|-
|2011-12||rowspan="1"|Cardiff City
Cardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
||10||3||0||0||1||0||11||3
|-
408||167||25||15||17||15||445||201
3||2||1||0||colspan="2"|-||4||2
412||169||24||15||16||15||449||201
Honours
Cardiff CityCardiff City F.C.
Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
- Football League Division Three Runners-up: 2000-01
- Football League Division Two play-off winner: 2002–03The Football League 2002-03The 2002–2003 season was the 103rd completed season of The Football League.-Football League First Division:Portsmouth won the First Division by some distance, passing manager Harry Redknapp’s old club, West Ham on the way down. Leicester City earned a somewhat controversial promotion, as...
Individual
- Brian Clough TrophyBrian Clough TrophyThe Brian Clough Trophy is a football trophy competed for whenever East Midlands rivals Derby County and Nottingham Forest play each other . The trophy is named after Brian Clough, who managed both clubs to great success...
: All Time Leading Goalscorer - 5 goals - Cardiff City Player of the YearCardiff City F.C. Player of the YearThe Cardiff City player of the year award is voted for annually by Cardiff City's supporters, in recognition of the best overall performance by an individual player throughout the football season. The award is set up by the Cardiff City Supporters' Club during the 1997-98 season.-Voting...
: 2002-03The Football League 2002-03The 2002–2003 season was the 103rd completed season of The Football League.-Football League First Division:Portsmouth won the First Division by some distance, passing manager Harry Redknapp’s old club, West Ham on the way down. Leicester City earned a somewhat controversial promotion, as... - Cardiff City Young Player of the Year: 1999, 2000, 2001
Hat-trick record
He is the only player to have scored hat-tricks in the Premiership, Divisions 1, 2 and 3, the FA Cup, the League Cup and in an international.- Premiership, West Brom vs Charlton, 19 March 2005
- Division 1, Cardiff vs GillinghamGillingham F.C.Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
(13 September 2003) and Nottingham Forest v Leicester City (5 December 2009) - Division 2, Cardiff vs QPRQueens Park Rangers F.C.Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...
(29 November 2002) and Tranmere RoversTranmere Rovers F.C.Tranmere Rovers Football Club are an English team based in Birkenhead, Wirral. The club currently compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league system...
(14 March 2003) - Division 3, Cardiff vs Torquay UnitedTorquay United F.C.Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...
(2 December 2000) - FA Cup, Cardiff vs Bristol RoversBristol Rovers F.C.Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city....
(19 November 2000) - League Cup, Cardiff vs Boston UnitedBoston United F.C.Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
(11 September 2002) and Leyton OrientLeyton Orient F.C.Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63...
(12 August 2003) - International, Wales vs Scotland (18 February 2004)