Liam Ridgewell facts for kids
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Ridgewell lining up for the Portland Timbers in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Liam Matthew Ridgewell | ||
| Date of birth | 21 July 1984 | ||
| Place of birth | Bexleyheath, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Portland Timbers (assistant coach) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1999–2001 | West Ham United | ||
| 2001–2002 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2002–2007 | Aston Villa | 79 | (7) |
| 2002 | → AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2007–2012 | Birmingham City | 152 | (9) |
| 2012–2014 | West Bromwich Albion | 76 | (2) |
| 2014–2019 | Portland Timbers | 97 | (6) |
| 2015 | → Wigan Athletic (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2019 | Hull City | 7 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | Southend United | 1 | (0) |
| Total | 431 | (24) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002 | England U19 | 1 | (1) |
| 2004–2005 | England U21 | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Liam Matthew Ridgewell (born 21 July 1984) is a former English footballer who played as a defender. He mostly played as a centre back, but could also play as a left back. After retiring from playing, he became an assistant coach for the Portland Timbers.
Liam played eight times for the England Under-21 team. He started his senior career with Aston Villa. In 2002, he spent some time on loan at AFC Bournemouth. Later, in 2007, he moved to Villa's local rivals, Birmingham City. There, he was part of the team that won the 2011 Football League Cup Final.
He then played for West Bromwich Albion for two and a half seasons. After that, he joined the Portland Timbers in the USA. He was the captain when they won the MLS Cup 2015. During the MLS off-season, he returned to England for loan spells with Wigan Athletic and Brighton & Hove Albion. Liam finished his playing career in 2020 after short periods at Hull City and Southend United.
Contents
Liam Ridgewell's Football Journey
Starting Out in Football
Liam Ridgewell was born in Bexleyheath, England. He began his football journey at West Ham United. In February 2001, he moved to Aston Villa. He was part of the Aston Villa youth team that won the 2002 FA Youth Cup final against Everton. This was a big achievement for the young team.
Playing for Aston Villa
In October 2002, Liam was loaned to AFC Bournemouth, a team in the Third Division. He made his first professional league appearance for them on 13 October in a 2–1 win. He played five games during his loan spell.
Liam made his debut for Aston Villa's main team on 4 January 2003 in an FA Cup match. His first Premier League game was on 28 December 2003. In January 2005, he scored his first goal as a professional player for Aston Villa. He scored five goals in 32 games during the 2005–06 Premier League season.
Time at Birmingham City
On 3 August 2007, Liam moved to Birmingham City. This was a notable transfer because these two clubs are big rivals. He joined for a fee of £2 million.
When the team's regular captain was injured, Liam was given the captain's armband. He felt it was a great honour. He quickly won over the fans with his strong performances. He scored his first goal for Birmingham City in October.
In April 2009, Liam suffered a broken leg during a game. However, he made a quick recovery and returned to play five months later. He often played as a left back during this time. He helped Birmingham City achieve a club record of 12 unbeaten matches in the top division. He also scored important goals, including a late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur in January 2010.
In June 2010, Liam signed a new contract with Birmingham. He played a full 90 minutes in the 2011 Football League Cup Final, where Birmingham beat Arsenal 2–1. This win meant they qualified for the Europa League.
Moving to West Bromwich Albion
Liam Ridgewell joined West Bromwich Albion on 31 January 2012. He signed a contract for two and a half years. He made his debut on 12 February in a big 5–1 win. He scored his first goal for West Brom on 7 April 2012.
On 16 May 2014, West Bromwich Albion announced that Liam would be leaving the club.
Playing in the USA with Portland Timbers
Liam joined the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer (MLS) on 25 June 2014. He was signed as a "Designated Player," which means he was one of the team's key players. He made his MLS debut on 18 July. Liam was chosen for the MLS All-Star team in 2014. He scored his first goal for the Timbers on 16 August 2014.
In January 2015, Liam went on a short loan to Wigan Athletic in England. He played six games for them.
The Timbers qualified for the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. Liam scored the first goal in a 3–1 win against FC Dallas in November. On 6 December, he captained the Timbers to a 2–1 victory in the MLS Cup 2015 final, winning the championship!
In December 2015, Liam had another short loan spell in England with Brighton & Hove Albion. He played five league games for them.
Liam played his final game for the Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup 2018 final, which they lost 2–0. On 10 January 2019, Liam and the Timbers decided to part ways.
Back to England for the End of His Career
On 31 January 2019, Liam joined Hull City for the rest of the 2018–19 season. He played seven games before leaving the club.
On 9 August 2019, Liam signed a one-year deal with Southend United. He made his debut the next day. He left Southend on 31 January 2020, marking the end of his professional playing career.
Coaching Career
In December 2020, Liam Ridgewell started his coaching career. He joined Dover Athletic as a first-team coach. In 2023, he returned to the Portland Timbers as part of their coaching staff. He has a UEFA B Coaching License, which is a qualification for football coaches.
Personal Life
Liam Ridgewell is a co-owner of a swimwear company called Thomas Royall. He owns it with fellow footballers Sam Saunders and John Terry.
Honours and Achievements
Liam Ridgewell achieved several honours during his career:
Aston Villa
- FA Youth Cup: 2001–02 (Won with the youth team)
Birmingham City
- Football League Cup: 2010–11 (Won a major English cup)
Portland Timbers
- MLS Cup: 2015 (Won the top league championship in the USA)
- Western Conference (playoffs): 2015 (Won their conference playoffs)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 2014 (Selected as one of the best players in the MLS)
See also
In Spanish: Liam Ridgewell para niños
