Gary Martin (footballer) facts for kids
Martin with Lokeren in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gary John Martin | ||
| Date of birth | 10 October 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Darlington, England | ||
| Height | 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Bishop Auckland | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2010 | Middlesbrough | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010 | Middlesbrough | 0 | (0) |
| 2010 | → Újpest (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | ÍA | 36 | (22) |
| 2011 | → Hjørring (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2012–2016 | KR | 69 | (35) |
| 2016–2017 | Víkingur Reykjavík | 13 | (5) |
| 2016–2017 | → Lillestrøm (loan) | 10 | (4) |
| 2017 | Lokeren | 8 | (0) |
| 2017 | York City | 3 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | Lillestrøm | 19 | (2) |
| 2019 | Valur | 3 | (2) |
| 2019–2021 | ÍBV | 31 | (23) |
| 2020 | → Darlington (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2021–2024 | Selfoss | 64 | (26) |
| 2024 | → Víkingur (loan) | 18 | (10) |
| 2024– | Bishop Auckland | 1 | (1) |
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Gary John Martin (born 10 October 1990) is an English professional footballer. He plays as a striker for Bishop Auckland. Gary has played football in several countries, including England, Hungary, Iceland, Belgium, and Norway.
Contents
Gary Martin's Football Journey
Starting Out at Middlesbrough
Gary Martin was born in Darlington, England. He began his football career at Middlesbrough. He joined their youth system in 2007. Gary was a very good goalscorer for both the youth and reserve teams. He scored 19 goals for the academy team and 17 goals for the reserve team.
In 2009, his youth contract was extended. He even played with the first team during their pre-season games. In February 2010, Gary went on loan to Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Újpest in Hungary. He played two league games there as a substitute.
Playing in Iceland and Denmark
Middlesbrough released Gary in May 2010. He then signed with 1. deild karla club ÍA in Iceland. He quickly made his debut and scored his first goal for the club.
In August 2011, Gary went on loan to Danish 1st Division club Hjørring in Denmark. He played seven games for them before returning to Iceland.
Success with KR
After two good seasons with ÍA, Gary joined Úrvalsdeild champions KR. This was a big step up for him.
In the 2013 season, KR won the Úrvalsdeild title again. Gary was one of the top goalscorers in the league with 13 goals. He was even named the best foreign player in the league and chosen for the Team of the Year. During this time, he also played in the UEFA Europa League for the first time, scoring a goal in that competition. He was also the top scorer in the 2014 season with 13 goals.
Moving to Víkingur and Lillestrøm
On 15 February 2016, Gary signed a three-year contract with Víkingur Reykjavík, another top Icelandic club. Later that year, he moved to Tippeligaen club Lillestrøm in Norway on loan. He joined up with his former coach from KR, Rúnar Kristinsson. He returned to Víkingur Reykjavík in January 2017.
Time in Belgium and Back to England
Gary signed with Belgian First Division A club Lokeren in Belgium in January 2017. He again joined his former manager, Rúnar Kristinsson. After not playing much at the start of the 2017–18 season, Gary left Lokeren in October 2017.
On 24 October 2017, Gary signed a new three-year contract to return to Lillestrøm, starting in 2018. Before that, he played for National League North club York City for a short time. He made his debut for York City in November 2017 and even scored a goal. However, Gary left the club soon after because he had played for another local team without permission. This was against the club's rules.
Recent Clubs and Return Home
In January 2019, Gary signed with Úrvalsdeild champions Valur in Iceland. After five months, he moved to another Icelandic club, ÍBV. He was the top scorer in the 2019 Úrvalsdeild with 14 goals from both clubs.
In January 2020, Gary went on loan to his home-town club, Darlington. In May, he signed with 1. deild karla club Selfoss in Iceland. In April 2024, he joined Víkingur on loan.
On 1 November 2024, Gary returned to England. He signed a two-year deal with Northern Premier League team Bishop Auckland. He scored a goal on his debut game on 16 November, helping his new team win 2–0.
Honours and Achievements
Gary Martin has won several titles during his career:
ÍA
- 1. deild karla: 2011 (This is a league title in Iceland)
KR
- Úrvalsdeild: 2013 (This is the top football league in Iceland)
- Icelandic Cup: 2012, 2014 (A national cup competition)
- Icelandic Super Cup: 2014 (A match between the league champions and cup winners)
