.jpg) Ridgewell lining up for thePortland Timbers in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Liam Matthew Ridgewell[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1984-07-21)21 July 1984 (age 40)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Bexleyheath, England | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
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 an English retired professionalfootballer who played as adefender. He was primarily acentre back but could also play atleft back. He is currently an assistant coach with thePortland Timbers.
Ridgewell, who earned eight caps forEngland at under-21 level, began his senior career withAston Villa. He spent time on loan atAFC Bournemouth in 2002, before moving to Villa's local rivalsBirmingham City in 2007, where he was part of the2011 Football League Cup Final-winning team. He played for two and a half seasons withWest Bromwich Albion, who released him at the end of 2013–14. He then joined thePortland Timbers, whom he captained to victory inMLS Cup 2015. During the MLS off-season, he spent time on loan in England withWigan Athletic andBrighton & Hove Albion. He ended his career in 2020 after short spells atHull City andSouthend United.
Ridgewell was born inBexleyheath, in theLondon Borough of Bexley,[3] and attendedBexleyheath School.[4] He began his career withWest Ham United, but moved toAston Villa in February 2001.[5] He was part of the team that won the2002 FA Youth Cup final againstEverton.[6]
The day after scoring forEngland Under-19s in a 2–2 draw against Yugoslavia in October 2002, he was loaned toAFC Bournemouth of the Third Division, for whom he made his debut inthe Football League in a 2–1 win overHartlepool United on 13 October and played five games in his month's loan spell.[7][8]
His debut for Aston Villa's first team came on 4 January 2003, in a 4–1 defeat toBlackburn Rovers in theFA Cup third round, when he came on as asubstitute to replaceRob Edwards after 69 minutes.[9] His firstPremier League appearance came on 28 December 2003, as a 62nd-minute replacement forMark Delaney in a 3–0 win overFulham atVilla Park; he made 11 appearances overthe season.
On 15 January 2005, Ridgewell scored his first professional goal, heading inNolberto Solano's cross in the ninth minute to open a 3–0 win overNorwich City.[10] On 10 April, in a 1–1 draw withrivalsWest Bromwich Albion, he and opponentJonathan Greening were sent off for headbutting each other.[11]
In the following Premier League campaign, Ridgewell recorded five goals in 32 games, including two in a 3–3 draw at Fulham on 28 December 2005.[12] He scored his only goal of the2006–07 season against his former club West Ham United on 10 September 2006.[13]
Ridgewell completed a move toBirmingham City for a fee of £2 million on 3 August 2007, becoming the first player to transfer between the bitter rivals sinceDes Bremner in 1984.[14]
In the absence through injury of regularcaptainDamien Johnson, Ridgewell was given the captain's armband. He described his appointment as "a real honour".[15] Though concerns were expressed over how some fans might react to a player signing from Aston Villa, Ridgewell's performances won over the doubters.[16] He scored his first goal for the club in their 3–2 win againstWigan Athletic atSt Andrew's in October,[17] but then scored anown goal in theBirmingham derby two weeks later, also at St Andrew's.[18]
In April 2009, Ridgewell suffered a broken leg after a challenge byPlymouth Argyle midfielderJamie Mackie.[19] He made an unexpectedly quick return to the side five months later, playing in the less familiar position of left back.[20] He continued in that role because of the form of preferred centre-backsRoger Johnson andScott Dann,[21] and played there as Birmingham went on a club-record 12-match unbeaten run in the top division[22] and set a Premier League record by fielding the same starting eleven for nine consecutive games.[23] He scored a 91st-minute equaliser againstTottenham Hotspur on 30 January 2010 which ensured that Birmingham remained unbeaten at home since the previous September.[24]
Ridgewell continued his goalscoring form with a stoppage-time winner againstDerby County to send Birmingham through to the quarter-finals of theFA Cup,[25] had a goal disallowed in the quarter-final match againstPortsmouth when the ball had "clearly crossed the line",[26] and scored an equalising goal againstLiverpool in the league.[27]
In June 2010, Ridgewell signed a new contract with Birmingham, to expire in June 2013.[28] He played the full 90 minutes as Birmingham defeated favouritesArsenal 2–1 in the2011 Football League Cup Final,[29] thus earning qualification for theEuropa League. In the absence of several midfielders through injury, Ridgewell played in theplay-off round first leg against Portuguese clubNacional, Birmingham's first participation in major European competition for nearly 50 years, in an unfamiliar holding midfield position.[30] As the August 2011 transfer deadline approached, Ridgewell submitted a transfer request which was rejected by the club, and despite late interest from Premier League clubs includingNewcastle United, he remained with Birmingham.[31]
Ridgewell signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Premier League clubWest Bromwich Albion on 31 January 2012. The transfer fee was undisclosed.[32] On 12 February, he made his debut in a 5–1 away win overWolverhampton Wanderers.[33] He made his home debut a week later as West Brom beatSunderland 4–0 atThe Hawthorns.[34] He scored his first goal for West Brom on 7 April in a 3–0 home win againstBlackburn Rovers.[35]
On 16 May 2014, West Bromwich Albion announced that they would not take up the option of extending Ridgewell's contract and he was released from the club.[36]
Ridgewell was signed as aDesignated Player for thePortland Timbers ofMajor League Soccer on 25 June 2014.[37] He made his MLS debut on 18 July, the 62nd consecutive sellout atProvidence Park, and a comeback 2–1 victory over the visitingColorado Rapids.[38] Ridgewell was named in the MLS All-Star team for the2014 MLS All-Star Game againstBayern Munich as a replacement for the injuredKyle Beckerman.[39] He scored his first Timbers goal, the equaliser against theNew England Revolution on 16 August 2014, after a 45-yard (41 m) solo run.[40]
On 8 January 2015, Ridgewell signed forWigan Athletic on a six-week loan deal.[41] He made six appearances for the Latics, who endedthe season with relegation from theChampionship.
Ridgewell was sent off on 25 June 2015 in a 5–0 loss atLA Galaxy, for a kick atAlan Gordon.[42] The Timbers qualified for the2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, in which Ridgewell opened the scoring in a 3–1 first leg win overWestern Conference regular season championsFC Dallas on 22 November, as the team eventually reachedMLS Cup 2015.[43] In the decisive match on 6 December away to theColumbus Crew atMapfre Stadium, he captained the Timbers to a 2–1 win.[44]
In December 2015, Ridgewell agreed a short-term loan with Championship teamBrighton & Hove Albion, to begin when the transfer window opened on 2 January 2016 and end in time for the second half of the Timbers' preseason.[45] He finished his spell with four wins from five league appearances.[46]
Ridgewell was sent off on 30 September 2018 at the end of a goalless draw at home toFC Dallas for a foul onRoland Lamah.[47] The Timbers made the2018 MLS Cup Playoffs; in the Western Conference semi-finals they defeated rivalsSeattle Sounders FC on penalties.[48] The Timbers lost theMLS Cup 2018 2–0 atAtlanta United FC in Ridgewell's final game.
On 10 January 2019, Ridgewell and Portland mutually agreed to part ways.[49]
On 31 January 2019, Ridgewell joinedHull City for the remainder of the 2018–19 season.[50] He made his debut on 9 February in a 2–0 loss at Derby County, as a 75th-minute substitute forStephen Kingsley.[51] He was released by Hull City at the end of the 2018–19 season.[52]
On 9 August 2019, Ridgewell signed a one-year deal withEFL League One clubSouthend United, with the option of a second.[53] He made his debut the next day in the season opener, a 3–1 home loss toBlackpool, starting on the left of a three-man defence and being replaced byLayton Ndukwu after 52 minutes. ManagerKevin Bond said his decision may have been "unfair" to start Ridgewell after he had not played any friendlies in the summer.[54] He left Southend on 31 January 2020, having played no further part.[55]
On 22 May 2020, Ridgewell joined amateur side Sutton Rangers in theSutton and District Sunday League.[56]
Ridgewell took on his first coaching job in December 2020, when he joinedNational League clubDover Athletic in the role of a first-team coach, assisting the managerAndy Hessenthaler.[57]Ridgewell joined the Portland Timbers coaching staff for the 2023 season. He holds a UEFA B Coaching License.[58]
In October 2016, Ridgewell and Portland Timbers teammateJake Gleeson were arrested and charged with driving under the influence and refusing breathalyzer tests inLake Oswego, Oregon. The case against Ridgewell was dropped in January 2017 when a judge ruled that the police had insufficient cause to stop and test him, while Gleeson pleaded no contest to his charges.[59]
Ridgewell co-owns custom swimwear company Thomas Royall with fellow footballersSam Saunders andJohn Terry.[60]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 2002–03[8] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003–04[61] | Premier League | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ― | 13 | 0 | ||
| 2004–05[62] | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 17 | 1 | ||
| 2005–06[63] | Premier League | 32 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ― | 37 | 5 | ||
| 2006–07[13] | Premier League | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ― | 25 | 1 | ||
| Total | 79 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 93 | 7 | ||
| AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 2002–03[8] | Third Division | 5 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 5 | 0 | |||
| Birmingham City | 2007–08[17] | Premier League | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 37 | 1 | |
| 2008–09[64] | Championship | 36 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ― | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10[65] | Premier League | 31 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ― | 37 | 4 | ||
| 2010–11[66] | Premier League | 36 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | ― | 43 | 5 | ||
| 2011–12[35] | Championship | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Total | 152 | 9 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 175 | 11 | ||
| West Bromwich Albion | 2011–12[35] | Premier League | 13 | 1 | ― | ― | ― | 13 | 1 | |||
| 2012–13[67] | Premier League | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 32 | 0 | ||
| 2013–14[68] | Premier League | 33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | 33 | 1 | ||
| Total | 76 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 78 | 2 | |||
| Portland Timbers | 2014[69][70] | Major League Soccer | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ― | 1[b] | 0 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2015[69][70] | Major League Soccer | 32 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | 5[c] | 1 | 38 | 1 | ||
| Total | 47 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ― | 6 | 1 | 54 | 3 | |||
| Wigan Athletic (loan) | 2014–15[71] | Championship | 6 | 0 | ― | ― | ― | 6 | 0 | |||
| Brighton & Hove Albion (loan) | 2015–16[72] | Championship | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ― | ― | 6 | 0 | ||
| Hull City | 2018–19[73] | Championship | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 7 | 0 | ||
| Southend United | 2019–20[74] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ― | ― | 1 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 378 | 20 | 18 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 425 | 23 | ||
Aston Villa
Birmingham City
Portland Timbers
Individual
