1. John Thomas Gordon Ruddy was born on 24 October 1986 and is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Newcastle United.
28 Facts About John Ruddy
1. 2.
John Ruddy spent five years with Everton, but made just one appearance, while playing on loan at nine different clubs.
3.
John Ruddy was signed by Paul Lambert to play for Norwich City in 2010 and, in his first season, was part of the team that finished second in the Championship, gaining promotion to the Premier League.
4.
John Ruddy then joined Birmingham City, where he spent two years as first-choice goalkeeper before signing for Newcastle United in 2024.
5.
John Ruddy was born in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, where he attended St Ivo School.
6.
John Ruddy began his football career at Cambridge United, where his team-mates gave him the nickname "The Iceman".
7.
John Ruddy was called into the England Under-19 squad in 2005 after being scouted by England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence and was touted by his manager David Moyes as a future England goalkeeper.
8.
In September 2005, John Ruddy signed for Walsall on loan; he made five appearances in League One before returning to Everton.
9.
John Ruddy made his first and only appearance for Everton in February 2006 in unusual circumstances.
10.
Since Turner was substituting for injured first- and second-choice keepers Nigel Martyn and Richard Wright, it meant that John Ruddy was the only keeper left who could play.
11.
John Ruddy then agreed a one-month loan with Wrexham in February 2007, but failed to establish a place in the team during his time at the Racecourse Ground and manager Brian Carey decided against extending the loan beyond the initial month.
12.
John Ruddy later joked that he would ask if he were eligible for a runners-up medal as City finished second and won promotion.
13.
On 24 July 2009, John Ruddy joined Scottish Premier League club Motherwell on a six-month loan, to vie with Michael Fraser and Sebastian Kosiorowski for a place in goal.
14.
John Ruddy finished the Scottish Premier League season with 15 clean sheets from 34 appearances.
15.
Norwich finished in 12th place, and John Ruddy was voted Player's Player of the Season, a testament to John Ruddy's performances that led to calls for his inclusion in Roy Hodgson's England Euro 2012 squad which were answered in the affirmative.
16.
In May 2017, it was announced that John Ruddy would be released when his contract expired.
17.
On 10 July 2017, John Ruddy signed a two-year contract with Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
18.
John Ruddy's signing came days after the club's previous number one Carl Ikeme was diagnosed with acute leukaemia.
19.
John Ruddy became the team's main goalkeeper and was part of the team that won promotion to the Premier League as champions.
20.
John Ruddy was named in the division's PFA Team of the Year and was awarded the EFL's Golden Glove Award for the most clean sheets with 24.
21.
John Ruddy came on as a concussion substitute and played the remaining few minutes of the game.
22.
John Ruddy signed a one-year contract with Championship club Birmingham City on 14 July 2022.
23.
John Ruddy was expected to provide competition for Neil Etheridge, but went straight into the starting line-up, was ever-present up to the mid-season break, and kept seven clean sheets during that time.
24.
John Ruddy remained ever-present in Championship matches until he strained a thigh during the visit to Millwall on 18 April 2023 and was replaced by Etheridge.
25.
John Ruddy signed a one-year contract with Premier League club Newcastle United on 1 July 2024.
26.
On 16 May 2012, John Ruddy received his first senior international call-up when Roy Hodgson selected him as a member of the England squad for UEFA Euro 2012.
27.
John Ruddy was called up for the friendly against Italy in Bern, Switzerland, on 10 August 2012, along with Butland and Joe Hart.
28.
John Ruddy was not included in Hodgson's 2014 World Cup squad, with Joe Hart, Fraser Forster and Ben Foster selected instead.