Craig Gardner was born on 25 November 1986 and is an English professional football coach and former player who made 260 appearances in the Premier League and a further 67 in the Championship.
24 Facts About Craig Gardner
2.
Craig Gardner joined the coaching staff at Birmingham City in January 2021, and in June was appointed technical director.
3.
Craig Gardner retired from playing in 2020 to take up a position as first-team coach at the club.
4.
Craig Gardner moved on to a similar role at Sheffield Wednesday in November 2020, before leaving a month later when Tony Pulis' contract was terminated and returning to Birmingham.
5.
Internationally, Craig Gardner represented England at under-21 level, and was a member of the team that finished as runners-up on the 2009 European Championships.
6.
Craig Gardner came through Aston Villa's youth system and turned professional on 31 January 2005.
7.
Craig Gardner made his Premier League debut on 26 December 2005, when he came on as a substitute for Steven Davis against Everton at Villa Park.
8.
Craig Gardner netted a contender for goal of the month on the last day of the season away to Bolton Wanderers.
9.
On 1 December 2007, Craig Gardner scored the opener in a home match against Arsenal.
10.
Craig Gardner has often played in the right-back slot, and impressed both his manager, Martin O'Neill, and captain, Gareth Barry, who said that Craig Gardner could be a key player for years to come.
11.
Craig Gardner made exactly 80 appearances for Villa in all competitions.
12.
Towards the end of the season Craig Gardner was preferred to Sebastian Larsson on the right of midfield.
13.
Craig Gardner's winning goal in extra time against West Ham United took Birmingham City through to the 2011 Football League Cup Final, and he was in the starting eleven as Birmingham won their first major trophy since 1963.
14.
Craig Gardner was rumoured to be homesick at Sunderland in the press, and was linked with a move back to the Midlands.
15.
Craig Gardner was deployed as a right-back by O'Neill for much of the season.
16.
Craig Gardner scored yet another penalty as Sunderland drew at home to Norwich later that month, bringing his tally for the season to eight.
17.
Craig Gardner returned to the team following his suspension, but against Stoke was shown a straight red card for a challenge on Charlie Adam, ending his season prematurely.
18.
Craig Gardner scored the only goal of the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Southampton when he "unleashed a 20-yard shot which arced imperiously before brushing the underside of the bar as it dipped en route to the top corner".
19.
On 11 January 2017, Craig Gardner returned to Birmingham City on loan until the end of the season, after which the transfer would become a three-year permanent deal with an option for a fourth year.
20.
Craig Gardner was appointed player-coach in November 2019, with the intention of becoming first-team coach on a permanent basis on 1 July 2020 after his playing contract expired.
21.
Craig Gardner finished his second spell with Birmingham with 73 appearances in all competitions, and over a 15-year playing career made 327 league appearances, of which 260 were in the Premier League.
22.
Craig Gardner was a member of the England under-21 team that played at the 2009 European Championships.
23.
Craig Gardner's spell lasted just over a month, as he left the club when Pulis was sacked on 28 December 2020.
24.
Craig Gardner was born in Solihull and raised in the Yardley district of Birmingham, where he attended Cockshut Hill School.