 Craddock during his testimonial game in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jody Darryl Craddock | ||
| Date of birth | (1975-07-25)25 July 1975 (age 49) | ||
| Place of birth | Redditch, England | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1993 | Christchurch | ||
| 1993–1997 | Cambridge United | 145 | (4) |
| 1993–1994 | →Woking (loan) | 7 | (2) |
| 1997–2003 | Sunderland | 146 | (2) |
| 1999 | →Sheffield United (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2003–2013 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 215 | (14) |
| 2007 | →Stoke City (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| Total | 527 | (22) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Jody Darryl Craddock (born 25 July 1975) is an English former professionalfootballer and artist who played as acentre back in thePremier League forSunderland andWolverhampton Wanderers.
Craddock broke into league football atCambridge United in the mid-1990s before spending six years atSunderland, with whom he won promotion to the top flight. When they were relegated in 2003 he switched to newly promotedWolverhampton Wanderers where he eventually became club captain and made 237 appearances during a ten-year stay.
Born inRedditch, Craddock started his career atnon-leagueChristchurch before earning a move to third tierCambridge United in August 1993 on afree transfer. He made his league debut on 11 December 1993 in a 0–0 draw withStockport County.
After four seasons at Cambridge, his talent was noted bySunderland and he joined for £300,000 in August 1997. His second season with the Black Cats saw him help them to promotion to the top level, however, he ended up spending part of their firstPremier League campaign on loan atSheffield United.
When Sunderland were relegated after four seasons in the Premier League in 2003, Craddock was sold to newly promotedWolves for £1.75 million to replace the injuredJoleon Lescott at centre back.[2]
He was madecaptain at the start of the 2006–07 season by new managerMick McCarthy. He found himself sent toStoke City on loan in August 2007 though, but this spell was cut short through the emergency 24-hour clause the following month.[3]
His 2008–09 season was interrupted when he broke a metatarsal in his foot in just the second league game, ruling him out for several months. After months of rehabilitation, Craddock was on the verge of a loan move, however injuries and loans meant that he stayed with the club. After a poor run of form forRichard Stearman, Craddock found himself once again in Wolves' first team, where he remained as the side went on to win the division and a return to thePremier League. He lifted theChampionship trophy after the final game againstDoncaster.
His return to the Premier League brought him a series of goals, as he netted againstStoke City,Arsenal,Bolton Wanderers andAston Villa to help the club achieve safety. The season ended with him being voted the club's Player of the Season Award winner.[4]
On 14 May 2011, the penultimate Premier League game of the2010–11 season, Craddock opened the scoring for Wolves in their league game against his old club Sunderland at theStadium of Light. Wolves won the game 3–1, taking a big step towards Premier League survival.[5] On 22 June 2011, it was confirmed that Craddock had agreed a new one-year deal to stay at Molineux. Craddock was out of selection for the start of the 2011–12 season but on 4 December against Sunderland, Craddock was recalled to the starting XI to replace out of form Roger Johnson.[6] On 20 July 2012, it was confirmed that Craddock had agreed a new one-year deal to stay at Molineux. This contract included him being involved in the first-team, but also coaching younger players in the academy.[7]
He announced his retirement on 17 May 2013 and was granted a testimonial by Wolves as reward for ten years of service.[8]
After his football career ended, Craddock developed as an artist producingportraiture,graffiti andphotorealism. His first exhibition of his works, entitles "Le Bellezza Della Fusione", was held in November 2015, at the Antidote Art Gallery inLutterworth, Leicestershire.[9]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other[a] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cambridge United | 1993–94 | Division Two | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| 1994–95 | Division Two | 38 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 1995–96 | Division Three | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 3 | |
| 1996–97 | Division Three | 41 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 1 | |
| Total | 145 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 159 | 5 | ||
| Sunderland | 1997–98 | Division One | 32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| 1998–99 | Division One | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000 | Premier League | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | Premier League | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2001–02 | Premier League | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| 2002–03 | Premier League | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | |
| Total | 146 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 168 | 5 | ||
| Sheffield United (loan) | 1999–2000 | Division One | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2003–04 | Premier League | 32 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 2 |
| 2004–05 | Championship | 42 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 2005–06 | Championship | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Championship | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 5 | |
| 2007–08 | Championship | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2008–09 | Championship | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 33 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2012–13 | Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 215 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 237 | 17 | ||
| Stoke City (loan) | 2007–08 | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Career total | 520 | 20 | 24 | 0 | 26 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 577 | 24 | ||
Sunderland
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Individual
