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Robert Earnshaw
RobertEarnshaw02 (cropped).jpg
Earnshaw in 2007
Personal information
Full name Robert Earnshaw
Date of birth (1981-04-06) 6 April 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth Mufulira, Zambia
Height 1.73 m
Playing position Striker
Youth career
1997–1998 Cardiff City
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2004 Cardiff City 183 (86)
2000 Greenock Morton (loan) 3 (2)
2004–2006 West Bromwich Albion 43 (12)
2006–2007 Norwich City 45 (27)
2007–2008 Derby County 22 (1)
2008–2011 Nottingham Forest 102 (38)
2011–2013 Cardiff City 19 (3)
2012–2013 Maccabi Tel Aviv (loan) 10 (2)
2013 Toronto FC 26 (8)
2014 Blackpool 1 (0)
2014 Chicago Fire 5 (3)
2015 Vancouver Whitecaps 9 (2)
2015 → Whitecaps 2 (loan) 3 (2)
Total 471 (186)
National team
1998–2001 Wales U21 10 (1)
2002–2012 Wales 59 (16)
Teams managed
2018–2019 Fresno (assistant)
2022– Orange County (assistant)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Robert Earnshaw (born 6 April 1981) is a former professional footballer from Wales. He played as a forward and was known for scoring many goals. He holds a special record: he is the only player to have scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) in the Premier League, all three divisions of the English Football League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and for his country in an international match.

Earnshaw was born in Zambia and grew up in South Wales. He started his career at Cardiff City in 1997. After a short loan, he became a key player for Cardiff, helping them get promoted in 2003. He then moved to Premier League club West Bromwich Albion in 2004. Throughout his career, he played for several clubs in England, Israel, Canada, and the United States. He also played for the Wales national team from 2002 to 2012, scoring 16 goals in 59 games.

Early Life and Football Start

Robert Earnshaw was born in Mufulira, Zambia, on 6 April 1981. He was one of five children. His mother was a professional footballer in Zambia and later a boxer. His father managed a gold mine. Robert's uncle and two cousins were also professional footballers who played for Zambia.

When Robert was five, his family moved to Malawi. He went to school there, learning the Chewa language in addition to Bemba and English. In 1990, his father passed away. His mother decided to move the family to Bedwas, a small town in Wales, in 1991. Robert found Wales very different, especially the colder weather and everyone speaking English.

In Wales, Robert started playing football with friends. He supported Manchester United. He also enjoyed gymnastics and basketball. His first organised football match was at age 11 with a local youth team called Llanbradach. After a year, he joined GE Wales, where he became known for scoring lots of goals, even 80 in one season!

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Cardiff City

In 1997, Robert Earnshaw scored three goals in a youth match. A coach from Cardiff City saw him and invited him to train. On 1 August, he signed a contract with Cardiff City. He scored over 47 goals for the club's youth team in one season.

He made his first team debut for Cardiff at just sixteen years old. This was in an FAW Invitation Cup match in October 1997. He played his first league game in March 1998.

In August 1998, Earnshaw signed his first full professional contract. He scored his first goal for Cardiff with a bicycle kick in his first start. However, he found it hard to get into the team. In January 2000, he was loaned to Scottish team Greenock Morton to gain more experience. He scored two goals in three games there. This loan helped him realise he needed to work harder.

The 2000–01 season was a big year for Earnshaw. He scored 25 goals in all competitions, including two hat-tricks. He was named Cardiff's Young Player of the Year. In the 2002–03 season, he continued to score many goals. He scored three hat-tricks and helped Cardiff win promotion to the First Division. He finished the season with 35 goals, breaking a club record!

His amazing goal-scoring attracted attention from many big clubs. Cardiff's chairman did not want to sell him.

Moving to West Bromwich Albion

At the start of the 2004–05 season, Earnshaw moved from Cardiff to West Bromwich Albion for £3 million. He made his debut in September 2004. He scored his first goals for Albion in November, netting twice in a 2–2 draw.

On 19 March 2005, he scored his first and only Premier League hat-trick against Charlton Athletic. This was a special moment because it meant Earnshaw became the only player to score hat-tricks in all four professional English divisions (Premier League, Division 1, 2, and 3), the FA Cup, the League Cup, and in an international match. He finished as Albion's top scorer that season with 14 goals.

In January 2006, Earnshaw left West Bromwich Albion. He felt he wasn't getting enough chances to play.

Time at Norwich City

On 31 January 2006, Earnshaw signed with Norwich City for £2.75 million. He quickly started scoring goals, including two in his second game. He scored six more goals that season.

The next season, he had a fantastic start, scoring 17 goals by January 2007. He got injured but returned to score two more goals, finishing the season with 19 goals.

Playing for Derby County

His goal-scoring at Norwich led Derby County, a newly promoted Premier League team, to sign him for £3.5 million in June 2007. He made his debut in August 2007.

Earnshaw found it tough at Derby. He struggled to score and was often not in the starting team. He scored his first Premier League goal for them in April 2008. He later said this was one of his worst seasons in football.

Joining Nottingham Forest

Robert Earnshaw - Forest
Earnshaw in Forest colours, 2010

In May 2008, Earnshaw joined Nottingham Forest for £2.65 million. He quickly scored his first goals for Forest in a League Cup match. His first league goal came in August 2008. On 5 December 2009, he scored a hat-trick against local rivals Leicester City.

In the 2010–11 season, Earnshaw scored important goals, including two in a 5–2 win against Derby County. He scored 43 goals in 111 games for Forest, making him a very successful striker for them.

Returning to Cardiff City

Robert Earnshaw 2011
Earnshaw in action for Cardiff in 2011

On 6 July 2011, Earnshaw rejoined his boyhood club, Cardiff City, for free. He made his second debut for Cardiff in August. His first goal back came a week later. He scored his 200th career goal in a 1–1 draw with Burnley on 20 August.

He later found himself playing less often and was often a substitute. Cardiff reached the play-offs but lost.

Loan to Maccabi Tel Aviv

In September 2012, Earnshaw moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel on a loan. He believed this move would help him improve as a player. He scored his first goal for them two weeks after his debut. He was in Tel Aviv during a conflict and experienced rocket fire, which was a shocking experience for him.

When he returned to Cardiff, the manager decided he was no longer needed.

Playing in North America

On 28 February 2013, Earnshaw joined Canadian club Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. He made his debut two days later. The following week, he scored two goals in a 2–1 win, earning him the MLS Player of the Week award.

In March 2014, Earnshaw joined Blackpool for a short time, playing only one game before leaving.

On 15 August 2014, he returned to MLS, joining Chicago Fire. He scored his first goal for them eight days later.

In February 2015, Earnshaw joined Vancouver Whitecaps. He made an instant impact, scoring the winning goal in his debut game in the 90th minute with his first touch of the ball! He scored another goal later, also with his second touch as a substitute.

Retirement from Playing

Robert Earnshaw announced his retirement from playing football on 28 January 2016. He then became the head coach of the Vancouver U-14 Pre-Residency team.

International Career for Wales

Robert Earnshaw chose to play for Wales at international level, even though he was born in Zambia. He felt Wales was his country because he grew up there. He played for the Wales under-21 team ten times, scoring once.

His great form at Cardiff City caught the eye of the Wales national coach. Earnshaw made his debut for Wales in May 2002, scoring the winning goal against Germany at the Millennium Stadium. He was also named man of the match.

He became an important player for Wales during the Euro 2004 qualifying games. He scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 friendly win against Scotland in February 2004.

During a Euro 2004 qualifying match, some Welsh players, including Earnshaw, faced racism. As a result, the opposing team's football association was fined.

Earnshaw played for Wales 59 times over ten years. On 25 May 2011, he was the captain for a game against Scotland. He continued to say he was available to play for the national team even after not being selected for a while.

Coaching Career

After coaching youth teams for the Vancouver Whitecaps, Earnshaw became an assistant coach for United Soccer League side Fresno in January 2018. In December 2021, he joined Orange County as an assistant coach.

Since May 2020, Robert has been studying in Wales to get his UEFA Pro License, which will allow him to coach in Europe.

Personal Life

Robert Earnshaw grew up in Lansbury park in Caerphilly, Wales, after moving there from Zambia as a teenager.

His son, Silva Mexes, signed for the Manchester United under-14 football team at the end of the 2023/24 season.

In June 2024, Earnshaw married Bollywood actress Zarah Shah.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Cardiff City 1997–98 Third Division 5 0 5 0
1998–99 Third Division 5 1 1 0 6 1
1999–2000 Second Division 6 1 6 1
2000–01 Third Division 36 19 4 6 1 0 41 25
2001–02 Second Division 32 12 3 2 1 1 36 15
2002–03 Second Division 46 31 4 1 2 3 55 35
2003–04 First Division 46 21 1 0 2 5 49 26
2004–05 Championship 4 1 1 1 5 2
Total 183 86 13 9 7 10 203 105
Greenock Morton (loan) 1999–2000 Scottish First Division 3 2 1 0 4 2
West Bromwich Albion 2004–05 Premier League 31 11 3 3 34 14
2005–06 Premier League 12 1 1 0 3 2 16 3
Total 43 12 4 3 3 2 50 17
Norwich City 2005–06 Championship 15 8 15 8
2006–07 Championship 30 19 1 0 1 0 32 19
Total 45 27 1 0 1 0 47 27
Derby County 2007–08 Premier League 22 1 2 1 1 0 25 2
Nottingham Forest 2008–09 Championship 32 12 2 2 2 3 36 17
2009–10 Championship 34 17 1 0 2 0 37 17
2010–11 Championship 36 9 2 0 0 0 38 9
Total 102 38 5 2 4 3 111 43
Cardiff City 2011–12 Championship 19 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 22 4
Maccabi Tel Aviv (loan) 2012–13 Israeli Premier League 10 2 0 0 1 1 11 3
Toronto 2013 MLS 26 8 0 0 0 0 26 8
Blackpool 2013–14 Championship 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Chicago Fire 2014 MLS 5 3 0 0 0 0 5 3
Vancouver Whitecaps 2015 MLS 9 2 0 0 1 0 4 0 14 2
Career total 468 184 27 16 19 16 5 0 519 216

International Goals

Scores and results list Wales' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Earnshaw goal.
List of international goals scored by Robert Earnshaw
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 14 May 2002 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Germany 1–0 1–0 Friendly
2 12 February 2003 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–1 2–2 Friendly
3 11 October 2003 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Serbia and Montenegro 2–3 2–3 UEFA Euro 2004 qualification
4 18 February 2004 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Scotland 1–0 4–0 Friendly
5 2–0
6 3–0
7 31 March 2004 Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest, Hungary  Hungary 2–1 2–1 Friendly
8 8 September 2004 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Northern Ireland 2–2 2–2 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 13 October 2004 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Poland 1–0 2–3 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 27 May 2006 UPC-Arena, Graz, Austria  Trinidad and Tobago 1–1 2–1 Friendly
11 2–1
12 11 October 2006 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales  Cyprus 2–0 3–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
13 17 October 2007 San Marino Stadium, Serravalle, San Marino  San Marino 1–0 2–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
14 29 May 2009 Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli, Wales  Estonia 1–0 1–0 Friendly
15 25 May 2011 Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Scotland 1–0 1–3 Nations Cup
16 27 May 2011 Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Northern Ireland 2–0 2–0 2011 Nations Cup

Robert Earnshaw's Unique Hat-trick Record

Robert Earnshaw is the only player in football history to have scored a hat-trick (three goals in one game) in all of these different competitions:

  • Premier League: For West Bromwich Albion against Charlton, 19 March 2005.
  • Championship (formerly Division 1): For Cardiff against Gillingham (13 September 2003) and for Nottingham Forest against Leicester City (5 December 2009).
  • League One (formerly Division 2): For Cardiff against QPR (29 November 2002) and against Tranmere Rovers (14 March 2003).
  • League Two (formerly Division 3): For Cardiff against Torquay United (2 December 2000).
  • FA Cup: For Cardiff against Bristol Rovers (19 November 2000).
  • League Cup: For Cardiff against Boston United (11 September 2002) and against Leyton Orient (12 August 2003).
  • International Match: For Wales against Scotland (18 February 2004).

Honours and Awards

Cardiff City

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Individual Awards

  • Cardiff City Young Player of the Year: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01
  • PFA Fans' Player of the Year: 2002–03 Second Division
  • PFA Team of the Year: 2000–01 Third Division, 2002–03 Second Division, 2003–04 First Division
  • Cardiff City Player of the Year: 2002–03
  • Football League Second Division Top Scorer: 2002–03
  • Welsh Footballer of the Year: 2004

Images for kids

See also

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