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Jody Craddock

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English footballer and artist

Jody Craddock
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)
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 professional footballer and artist who played as a centre back in the Premier League for Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Craddock broke into league football at Cambridge United in the mid-1990s before spending six years at Sunderland, with whom he won promotion to the top flight. When they were relegated in 2003 he switched to newly promoted Wolverhampton Wanderers where he eventually became club captain and made 237 appearances during a ten-year stay.

Career

Cambridge United

Born in Redditch, Craddock started his career at non-league Christchurch before earning a move to third tier Cambridge United in August 1993 on a free transfer. He made his league debut on 11 December 1993 in a 0–0 draw with Stockport County.

Sunderland

After four seasons at Cambridge, his talent was noted by Sunderland 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 first Premier League campaign on loan at Sheffield United.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

When Sunderland were relegated after four seasons in the Premier League in 2003, Craddock was sold to newly promoted Wolves for £1.75 million to replace the injured Joleon Lescott at centre back.

He was made captain at the start of the 2006–07 season by new manager Mick McCarthy. He found himself sent to Stoke City on loan in August 2007 though, but this spell was cut short through the emergency 24-hour clause the following month.

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 for Richard 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 the Premier League. He lifted the Championship trophy after the final game against Doncaster.

His return to the Premier League brought him a series of goals, as he netted against Stoke City, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers and Aston Villa to help the club achieve safety. The season ended with him being voted the club's Player of the Season Award winner.

On 14 May 2011, the penultimate Premier League game of the 2010–11 season, Craddock opened the scoring for Wolves in their league game against his old club Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Wolves won the game 3–1, taking a big step towards Premier League survival. 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. 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.

He announced his retirement on 17 May 2013 and was granted a testimonial by Wolves as reward for ten years of service.

Personal life

After his football career ended, Craddock developed as an artist producing portraiture, graffiti and photorealism. His first exhibition of his works, entitles "Le Bellezza Della Fusione", was held in November 2015, at the Antidote Art Gallery in Lutterworth, Leicestershire.

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other 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
  1. Appearances and goals in the Football League play-offs, Football League Trophy

Honours

Sunderland

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Individual

References

  1. "Premier League Player Profile". Premier League. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2011.
  2. "Wolves sign Craddock". BBC Sport. 31 July 2003.
  3. "Craddock called back". Stoke City Official Website. 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007.
  4. "End of Season Dinner – Live!". wolves.co.uk. 4 May 2010. Archived from the original on 7 May 2010.
  5. "Sunderland 1–3 Wolves". BBC News. 14 May 2011.
  6. "Jody Craddock agrees Wolves deal". Express & Star. 22 June 2011.
  7. "Wolves offer Jody Craddock new deal". Express & Star. 20 July 2012.
  8. "Craddock testimonial confirmed". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 17 May 2013. Archived from the original on 12 July 2013.
  9. "Ex-footballer Jody Craddock finds new identity as artist". BBC News. 14 November 2015. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
  10. Jody Craddock at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)
  11. Hugman, Barry J., ed. (1997). The 1997–98 Official PFA Footballers Factfile. Harpenden: Queen Anne Press. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-85291-581-0.
  12. "Craddock's emotional return". BBC Sport. 27 September 2002. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  13. "Craddock crowns huge turnaround". Express & Star. 5 May 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2024.

External links

Awards
1996–97 Football League Third Division PFA Team of the Year
Sunderland A.F.C. – Player of the Year
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. Player of the Year
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