Ricardo Fuller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ricardo Fuller

Fuller playing for Stoke City in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Dwayne Fuller
Date of birth	(1979-10-31) 31 October 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Kingston, Jamaica
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2001	Tivoli Gardens
2001	Crystal Palace	8	(0)
2001–2002	Tivoli Gardens	16	(12)
2001–2002	→ Heart of Midlothian (loan)	27	(8)
2002–2004	Preston North End	58	(27)
2004–2005	Portsmouth	31	(1)
2005–2006	Southampton	31	(9)
2006	→ Ipswich Town (loan)	3	(2)
2006–2012	Stoke City	182	(43)
2012–2013	Charlton Athletic	31	(5)
2013–2014	Blackpool	27	(6)
2014–2015	Millwall	38	(4)
2015–2016	Oldham Athletic	5	(0)
2019–2020	Nantwich Town	21	(4)
2020	Hanley Town	0	(0)
Total		478+	(121+)
International career
1999–2012	Jamaica	76	(10)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Ricardo Dwayne Fuller (born October 31, 1979) is a retired Jamaican professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was a main attacker for his team.

Fuller began his football journey with Tivoli Gardens in Jamaica. He then moved to England to play for Crystal Palace in 2001. After a short time back in Jamaica, he went on loan to Hearts in Scotland. Later, he joined Preston North End.

He scored 27 goals in 58 league games for Preston. This impressive performance led Portsmouth to sign him for £1 million. Fuller then played for Southampton before Stoke City signed him in 2006.

At Stoke, he became a very important player. His goals helped Stoke get promoted to the Premier League in 2008. He continued to be a key player in the top league. Fuller helped Stoke reach the 2011 FA Cup Final, but he missed the final due to an injury. After recovering, he played a smaller role and left Stoke in 2012. He then played for Charlton Athletic, Blackpool, and Millwall. He also had a short spell at Oldham Athletic before retiring. However, he later returned to play for non-league clubs Nantwich Town and Hanley Town.

Fuller also played 76 international matches for the Jamaica national team between 1999 and 2012.

Ricardo Fuller's Football Journey

Early Career in Jamaica

Ricardo Fuller was born in Kingston, Jamaica. He started his football career with Tivoli Gardens, a club in his home country. He even had a trial with Charlton Athletic in England, playing in some reserve team matches.

Playing for Crystal Palace

In February 2001, Fuller moved to the English club Crystal Palace. He had impressed them during a trial. At the time of his transfer, he faced a suspension from football in Jamaica. He also had some knee problems, which meant he only played eight games for Crystal Palace. He returned to Tivoli Gardens in Jamaica after this period.

Loan to Heart of Midlothian

For the 2001–02 season, Fuller went on loan to Hearts, a club in the Scottish Premier League. He made an immediate impact, scoring 8 goals in 27 games. He ended up as one of the club's top scorers that season. However, Hearts could not afford to sign him permanently.

Time at Preston North End

Preston North End then signed Fuller for £500,000. He scored in his very first game for Preston against his old club, Crystal Palace. He quickly became a crucial player for the team. He scored goals often, but unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury in December. This injury ended his season early. He had scored 11 goals in just 20 games.

When he returned for the 2003–04 season, Fuller started very strongly. He scored six goals in five games at one point. Even though his knee bothered him again later, he still scored 19 goals that season, making him Preston's top scorer. In June 2004, Fuller asked to leave the club to join a Premier League team.

Moving to Portsmouth

Both Leeds United and Portsmouth were interested in signing Fuller. However, his ongoing knee problems caused both clubs to initially withdraw their offers after medical checks. But Portsmouth's manager, Harry Redknapp, was still keen on him. Portsmouth worked out a special deal where they would pay Fuller based on how many games he played. This meant they wouldn't lose much money if his knee injuries kept him off the field.

Fuller joined Portsmouth in August 2004 for £1 million. He had scored 31 goals in 63 games for Preston. He didn't make a huge impact in the Premier League at Portsmouth. He scored one goal for them in a 3–1 win against Crystal Palace. He later moved to Southampton for £90,000.

Playing for Southampton

Fuller's time at Southampton started with excitement. He scored in his first game against Coventry and again against Derby. However, his performance then dipped. Some fans were unhappy, partly because he used to play for their rivals, Portsmouth.

In February 2006, he went on loan to Ipswich Town. He had an eventful time there, scoring two goals in three games. He also received two yellow cards and one red card. He returned to Southampton in March. After his return, he seemed like a different player. He scored six goals in the final six games of the season. This earned him the Championship Player of the Month award for April. He finished as the club's top scorer with nine goals that season. Despite this, he was transferred to Stoke City on August 31, 2006.

Success at Stoke City

Fuller joined Stoke City for about £500,000. In his first season, he was Stoke's top goal scorer with 11 goals.

In the 2007–08 season, Fuller became a very important part of the Stoke team that won promotion. He was a big favorite among the fans. He scored 15 goals that season as Stoke earned their place in the Premier League. He also won the club's "Goal of the Season" award for a fantastic solo goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Fuller scored Stoke City's first-ever Premier League goal. It was a late goal in a 3–1 loss to Bolton Wanderers on the first day of the 2008–09 season. He scored again in Stoke's first Premier League home match, a 3–2 win over Aston Villa. This goal was chosen as the "Goal of the Month" for August by Match of the Day.

In December 2008, Fuller had an argument with his teammate Andy Griffin during a match. He later said Griffin had been "very rude," but he accepted that his own actions were worse. The manager, Tony Pulis, confirmed that Fuller and Griffin had settled their differences. In February 2009, Fuller dislocated his shoulder. It was feared he would miss the rest of the season, but he recovered quickly and was back playing in just two weeks. He continued to play well and helped Stoke stay in the Premier League.

For the 2009–10 season, Fuller was told by manager Pulis that he needed to lose some weight. He scored two goals against Arsenal in the FA Cup. He also won the "Goal of the Season" award for the third time in a row. This time, it was for another amazing solo effort against West Ham United.

Fuller scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season against Tottenham Hotspur. He then dislocated his shoulder twice more. In November 2010, he made his 150th league appearance for Stoke. On November 9, he scored his 100th goal in British football against Birmingham City. In April 2011, Fuller suffered an Achilles tendon injury. This meant he missed the rest of the 2010–11 season, including the 2011 FA Cup Final.

Fuller returned from injury in November 2011. He scored his 50th goal for Stoke against Beşiktaş in the UEFA Europa League in December 2011. He left Stoke in June 2012 when his contract ended.

Later Football Career

Fuller joined Championship team Charlton Athletic in August 2012. He signed a one-year contract. He scored important goals for Charlton, including a 25-yard shot against Peterborough United. Despite some injuries, he helped Charlton finish ninth in the league. He left Charlton at the end of the 2012–13 season.

In August 2013, Fuller signed a one-year contract with Blackpool. He scored six goals in 28 games for Blackpool during the 2013–14 season. Fuller then joined Millwall in July 2014. He played 40 games for Millwall, scoring six goals, but the team was relegated from the Championship.

Fuller signed a three-month contract with Oldham Athletic in October 2015 after a successful trial. He left Oldham in January 2016 and announced his retirement in May 2016. However, in January 2019, it was announced that Fuller had signed for Nantwich Town. He played for them again in November 2019. Fuller then signed for Hanley Town in August 2020. In September, he scored the winning goal in an FA Cup match, helping his team reach the FA Second Qualifying Round for the first time ever.

International Play

Ricardo Fuller was part of the Jamaica Under 20 national team in 1998. He was called up to the senior national team in 1999. Fuller played in Jamaica's World Cup campaigns for 2002, 2006, and 2010. He also played in the CONCACAF Gold Cup competitions in 2005 and 2009.

Personal Life

Fuller was raised by his grandmother in Kingston, Jamaica. With the money he earned from football, he was able to rebuild his grandmother's house after it was damaged in 2010. In February 2009, Fuller pleaded guilty to driving without a UK license and was fined.

In November 2022, Stoke City honored Ricardo Fuller by renaming their renovated sports bar at the bet365 Stadium "Ricardo's."

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Source:

Awards and Achievements

Stoke City

• Football League Championship second-place promotion: 2007–08 (This means they finished second in the league and moved up to a higher division.)

Nantwich Town

• Cheshire Senior Cup: 2018–19 (A local football competition cup)

Individual Awards

• Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: December 2001
• Football League Championship Player of the Month: April 2006
• PFA Team of the Year: 2007–08 Championship (This means he was chosen as one of the best players in the league for that season.)

See also

In Spanish: Ricardo Fuller para niños