Chris Gunter facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chris Gunter

Gunter with Wales in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Ross Gunter
Date of birth	(1989-07-21) 21 July 1989 (age 36)
Place of birth	Newport, Wales
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Wales U19 (head coach)
Youth career
1997–2006	Cardiff City
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2008	Cardiff City	28	(0)
2008–2009	Tottenham Hotspur	5	(0)
2009	→ Nottingham Forest (loan)	8	(0)
2009–2012	Nottingham Forest	133	(2)
2012–2020	Reading	280	(2)
2020–2022	Charlton Athletic	54	(1)
2022–2023	AFC Wimbledon	31	(0)
Total		539	(5)
International career‡
2005–2006	Wales U17	11	(2)
2006	Wales U19	3	(0)
2006–2007	Wales U21	8	(0)
2007–2022	Wales	109	(0)
Managerial career
2023–2024	Wales (coach)
2024–	Wales U19
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:39, 9 May 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:46, 21 March 2023 (UTC)

Christopher Ross Gunter (born on 21 July 1989), known as Chris Gunter, is a Welsh former professional footballer. He played as a defender, usually on the right side of the field. After a long playing career, he became a coach for the Wales national team in 2023.

Gunter started his football journey in the youth system at Cardiff City. He later joined Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2008. After a short time there, he moved to Nottingham Forest and then to Reading in 2012. He played over 300 games for Reading before moving to Charlton Athletic and AFC Wimbledon.

Chris Gunter also had a very successful international career playing for Wales. He played for the Welsh national team from under-17 level all the way to the senior team. He earned 109 "caps" (appearances) for the senior team over 15 years. He was part of the Wales squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2016. He also played in Euro 2020 and was part of the squad for the 2022 World Cup. In 2017, he was named Welsh Footballer of the Year. He holds the record for being the first Welshman to reach 100 international caps.

Early Life and Football Beginnings

Chris Gunter was born in Newport. He went to Durham Road Junior School and then St Julian's High School. Chris and his brother Marc were big fans of Cardiff City from a young age. Chris even went to away games with supporters until 2006. He also earned a special diploma in Sports Studies.

Chris started playing football as a striker for local youth teams. But he soon changed to playing as a full-back. He joined the Cardiff City youth team when he was just eight years old. On 1 August 2006, he signed his first professional contract with Cardiff City.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Cardiff City

Gunter made his first senior appearance for Cardiff City on 22 August 2006. This was in a League Cup match against Barnet. His league debut came on 17 November 2006 against Queens Park Rangers. His manager, Dave Jones, praised his performance.

In March 2007, Chris won the Football League's Apprentice of the Year award. This was because he played well for the first team when other players were injured. During the summer of 2007, Premier League club Everton tried to buy him twice, but Cardiff City said no. By the end of the 2006–07 season, Gunter became Cardiff's youngest player to play for his country's senior team.

Moving to Tottenham Hotspur

On 21 December 2007, Cardiff City agreed to let Gunter talk to Tottenham Hotspur. The transfer was made official on 24 December 2007, and he joined the club in January 2008.

Gunter played his first game for Tottenham on 15 January 2008. It was an FA Cup match against Reading. He made his first Premier League appearance on 30 January against Everton. However, he did not play many games for Tottenham.

On 12 March 2009, Gunter moved to Nottingham Forest on loan for the rest of the season.

Time at Nottingham Forest

Gunter playing for Nottingham Forest in 2011

On 17 July 2009, Tottenham Hotspur accepted an offer from Nottingham Forest. Gunter officially joined Forest on 20 July, signing a four-year contract.

He scored his first goal in senior football for Forest on 27 September 2009. This was in a 1–0 win against Plymouth Argyle. On 23 March 2010, Gunter played his 100th senior club game. In May 2010, he was chosen for the Championship PFA Team of the Year. He scored his only other goal for Forest on 16 August 2011, in a match against Doncaster Rovers.

Playing for Reading

Gunter playing for Reading in 2014

Gunter joined Reading on 17 July 2012, signing a three-year deal. Reading had just been promoted to the Premier League. He scored his first goal for Reading in the League Cup on 28 August 2012. Reading was relegated at the end of that season.

On 27 March 2015, Reading extended Gunter's contract for another year. He scored an extra-time goal in the League Cup on 11 August against Colchester United.

Gunter signed new contracts with Reading in 2016 and 2017, keeping him at the club until 2020. In October 2017, he was named Welsh Footballer of the Year. Towards the end of his time at Reading, he played fewer games due to new players and injuries. He made his 500th career club appearance on 26 November 2019. On 1 January 2020, he played his 300th game for Reading. Gunter left Reading in July 2020 when his contract ended.

Later Career: Charlton and Wimbledon

On 8 October 2020, Gunter joined Charlton Athletic on a two-year deal. He scored one goal for Charlton on 26 December 2020. He left Charlton Athletic in May 2022.

On 4 July 2022, Gunter signed a one-year deal with AFC Wimbledon. He made his debut on 30 July 2022. He played 35 games for AFC Wimbledon. On 4 May 2023, Gunter announced he was retiring from playing football. He then moved into a full-time coaching role for Wales.

International Career for Wales

Youth Teams

Gunter began his Wales career in the 2003–04 season, playing for the Schools' under-15 and under-16 teams. He then played 11 games for the Wales under-17 team in 2005–06, even captaining the side. He also played for the Wales U19 squad.

At 16 years and 299 days old, Gunter became the second youngest player to play for the Wales Under-21 team in 2006.

Senior Team Appearances

Gunter lining up for Wales in 2007

Gunter was first called up to the senior Wales team at age seventeen for a friendly match against New Zealand on 26 May 2007. He played in all ten matches during the 2010 World Cup qualifying games.

On 15 October 2013, Gunter earned his 50th cap for Wales. This was in a 1–1 draw against Belgium.

Gunter was a key player in Wales' UEFA Euro 2016 squad. He played every minute of their six games as they reached the semi-finals of the tournament. On 6 October 2016, he earned his 75th cap for Wales.

He captained the Wales team for the first time on 13 November 2017. In this game, he equaled his former manager Gary Speed's record of 85 international caps for an outfield player. On 22 March 2018, Gunter broke that record. On 20 November 2018, he passed Neville Southall's record of 92 caps for Wales. Southall congratulated him, calling him a "Top player. Top guy. RESPECT."

Gunter made history on 27 March 2021 by becoming the first player to reach 100 caps for Wales. He was also selected for the Wales squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament.

In November 2022, Gunter was part of the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. However, he did not play in any of their games. This allowed Gareth Bale to become the most-capped Wales player.

On 9 March 2023, Gunter announced his retirement from international football. He finished his international career with 109 caps.

Coaching Career

On 21 March 2023, Chris Gunter was appointed as one of the coaches for the Wales national football team. He works under team manager Rob Page.

Personal Life

Chris Gunter used to share a flat with fellow Welsh footballer Aaron Ramsey. Ramsey played for Arsenal, which is a rival team to Tottenham Hotspur, where Gunter played at the time. Gunter was also the best man at Ramsey's wedding.

International Statistics

Awards and Achievements

Tottenham Hotspur

• Football League Cup runner-up: 2008–09

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 2009–10 Championship
• Welsh Footballer of the Year: 2017

See also

In Spanish: Chris Gunter para niños

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps