Jimmy Bullard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jimmy Bullard

Bullard playing for Ipswich Town in 2011
Personal information
Full name	James Richard Bullard
Date of birth	(1978-10-23) 23 October 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	East Ham, England
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	West Ham United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
	Corinthian
1997–1998	Dartford
1998–1999	Gravesend & Northfleet	30	(7)
1999–2001	West Ham United	0	(0)
2001–2003	Peterborough United	66	(11)
2003–2006	Wigan Athletic	145	(10)
2006–2009	Fulham	39	(6)
2009–2011	Hull City	23	(7)
2011	→ Ipswich Town (loan)	16	(5)
2011–2012	Ipswich Town	21	(1)
2012	Milton Keynes Dons	2	(0)
Total		342	(47)
Managerial career
2016–2017	Leatherhead
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

James Richard Bullard (born 23 October 1978) is an English former professional footballer, coach, and television personality. He was also a co-host for the Saturday morning Sky Sports show Soccer AM.

As a player, Jimmy was a midfielder. He started his youth football journey at West Ham United. Later, he joined Gravesend & Northfleet in 1998. After playing for Peterborough United, he moved to Wigan Athletic. There, he scored ten goals in 145 league games and helped them get promoted to the Premier League for the first time. Bullard was known for being a passionate leader on the field. He was also famous for his funny actions and always playing football with a smile. His manager, Paul Jewell, once said Bullard was the "heart and soul" of the team's changing room.

In 2006, Jimmy transferred to Fulham. He scored six goals in 39 league games before moving to Hull City in 2009. In 2011, he went on loan to Ipswich Town and scored in his very first game. He later joined Ipswich permanently. Jimmy finished his playing career at Milton Keynes Dons. On 1 October 2012, Bullard stopped playing professional football. This was because ongoing problems with his knees made it too hard for him to play in many games each week. He later managed Leatherhead from September 2016 to May 2017.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out in Football

Jimmy Bullard was born in East Ham, London. He played football for his school teams in Bexley and Kent. He began his senior career in non-League football with an amateur club called Corinthian. After that, he played for Dartford, making 26 appearances in the 1997–98 season. He then moved to Gravesend & Northfleet.

In 1999, Jimmy signed with West Ham United, the club he supported as a boy. However, he didn't get to play for their main team. He left West Ham in 2001. In May 2001, Bullard joined Second Division club Peterborough United. He impressed the manager, Barry Fry, with his speed and energy. After playing well for Peterborough, Bullard moved to Wigan Athletic in January 2003.

Success with Wigan Athletic

Jimmy quickly became a key player for Wigan. He was even chosen for the PFA Division Two Team of the Year for the 2002–03 season. He helped Wigan get promoted to the FA Premier League in the 2004–05 season. He also played in the 2006 Football League Cup Final, where Wigan lost to Manchester United.

Time at Fulham

Bullard at Fulham with his son in 2008

On 28 April 2006, it was announced that Bullard would join Fulham. He officially became a Fulham player on 16 May. Jimmy's first game for Fulham was a 5–1 loss to Manchester United on 20 August. He scored his first goal for Fulham against Bolton Wanderers on 26 August. It was a last-minute penalty kick that made the score 1–1. A few days later, he scored a fantastic free kick against Sheffield United. Fulham's manager, Chris Coleman, praised Bullard, calling him a great signing.

On 9 September, Bullard injured his knee during a match against Newcastle United. This injury kept him out of the game for a long time. He didn't play for the first team again until 12 January 2008. He came back strong, scoring a winning goal from a free kick against Aston Villa on 3 February. He scored another similar free kick weeks later against Blackburn Rovers.

After missing much of the season, Jimmy's return helped Fulham improve their performance. They moved out of the bottom three teams with just one game left. After helping Fulham avoid relegation, Bullard said he wanted to stay with the club.

Bullard playing for Fulham in 2008

At the start of the 2008–09 season, other clubs were interested in signing Bullard. However, Fulham's new manager, Roy Hodgson, said he would not sell Jimmy because he was a very important player. Despite being a regular player, Bullard was later told by the club that he could leave. This made him "very confused."

Moving to Hull City

On 23 January 2009, Bullard joined Hull City. This was a record transfer fee paid by the club at the time. Jimmy explained that he felt Fulham didn't want him to stay. He said Hull City showed him they really wanted him, which made his decision easier.

Bullard played his first game for Hull as a substitute on 28 January against West Ham. However, he got another knee injury during the game. This injury was serious and required surgery. He returned to action on 6 October in a reserve team match, scoring a great goal. His first team return was on 19 October against his old club, Fulham. He scored his first goal for Hull, a free kick, against West Ham on 21 November. He scored another goal in the same game from a penalty kick. His third goal for Hull came against Manchester City, also from a penalty. His goal celebration was very funny: he wagged his finger at his teammates who sat down in a circle. This was a playful imitation of Hull manager Phil Brown's famous on-pitch team talk from the season before.

On 5 December, Bullard injured his knee again during a game against Aston Villa. This injury kept him out for several weeks. He returned in February 2010 for Hull's reserve team. On 27 March, he scored a penalty against his former club Fulham, helping Hull win 2–0.

In July 2011, Hull City stopped Bullard's contract. This was due to an incident at a training camp.

Playing for Ipswich Town

On 27 January 2011, Jimmy joined Ipswich Town on loan. He scored in his first game, a 2–1 win against Derby County on 1 February. Bullard scored five goals in 16 games for Ipswich. Even though he was only with the club for three months, he won the Supporters' Player of the Year award. Many fans wanted him to join permanently. Bullard said he would be interested in moving to Ipswich and was ready to take a pay cut.

On 25 August, Bullard officially joined Ipswich Town permanently, signing a two-year contract. He started well, but injuries meant he spent most of the rest of the season on the bench. At one point, Bullard was suspended for two weeks by the club for being late to training. His manager, Paul Jewell, said it was a way to discipline him. Jewell mentioned that Bullard "loved playing football and training" and was "the life and soul of the dressing room."

After his suspension, Bullard returned to the team. He left Ipswich by agreement in August 2012. Even though his manager thought highly of him, he couldn't promise him regular playing time.

Milton Keynes Dons and Retirement

On 28 August 2012, Bullard signed a short contract with Milton Keynes Dons. However, on 1 October of the same year, he announced he was retiring from football because of his knee injuries. Bullard explained that his mind wanted to keep playing, but his body simply couldn't handle it anymore.

International Football

Even though Jimmy Bullard was born in England, he has a German grandmother. This meant he could have played for the German national team. Before the 2006 FIFA World Cup, there were reports that Bullard was thinking about playing for Germany. He even let the German coach, Jürgen Klinsmann, know he was interested.

In August 2008, he was called up to the England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying games against Andorra and Croatia. However, he did not play in either match. He was called up to the England squad three times in total.

Managerial Role

On 17 September 2016, Jimmy Bullard became the manager of Isthmian League Premier Division team Leatherhead. He left the club at the end of that season in May 2017.

Life Outside Football

In 2014, Jimmy Bullard released his autobiography called Bend It like Bullard. This book shared the story of his football career and became very popular.

Bullard has appeared as a football expert for BT Sport and the BBC. He was notably a pundit for the 2014 FA Cup final between Arsenal and Hull City, a team he used to play for. He has also made many TV appearances on shows like Soccer AM and Goals on Sunday.

In November 2014, he was a contestant on the TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. After leaving the show, Bullard made special appearances on other TV programs like Text Santa, The Xtra Factor, Celebrity Juice, and Alan Carr's Specstacular.

Jimmy also co-hosted a comedy-football podcast called The Magic Sponge with comedians Rob Beckett and Ian Smith. This podcast looked at the lives of professional footballers in a fun way. Bullard now hosts his own fishing podcast and video series called Off The Hook with Jimmy Bullard. He has continued to appear on TV, including Sunday Brunch and Reality Bites.

Bullard started an organization called Extra Time Management with his friend and manager, James Erwood. This group helps professional sports people who are retiring or have already retired from their sport. It helps them find new careers in media and broadcasting. Extra Time Management also helps athletes with mental health issues. A part of the money the company earns goes to different charities.

Jimmy was the host's assistant on the first series of the ITV comedy show Play to the Whistle. He appeared alongside Bradley Walsh, Frank Lampard, and Holly Willoughby. Since August 2017, Bullard has been a co-host of Sky Sports' Soccer AM. He currently co-hosts with John Fendley.

Bullard also appears on YouTube on Peter Dales' channel, "Golf Life." He also hosts his own podcast with John Fendley called FCBullard.

Personal Life

Jimmy Bullard is engaged to his long-term girlfriend and they have two children together.

Honours and Awards

Team Achievements

Wigan Athletic

• Football League Second Division: 2002–03
• Football League Championship runner-up: 2004–05
• Football League Cup runner-up: 2005–06

Individual Awards

• PFA Team of the Year: 2002–03 (Second Division), 2004–05 (Championship)
• Premier League Player of the Month: November 2009
• Ipswich Town Player of the Year: 2010–11

Filmography

|