oneSTOKEfan | Ricardo Fuller

Ricardo Fuller

Name: Ricardo Fuller
Position: Forward
Date of Birth: 31/10/1979
Nationality: Jamaican
Place of Birth: Kingston
Squad Number: 10
Nickname: Ricci, Ric, Glass Knees, Wily Boo
Former Clubs: Crystal Palace, Tivoli Gardens, Hearts, Preston, Portsmouth, Southampton, Ipswich
Joined Stoke: 2006 (£500,000)

One of the most recognisable players in the Stoke squad, Fuller is capable of producing moments of skill, pace and finishing ability which can combine to devastating effect, making him virtually unplayable on his best days. With the club’s top scorer award to his name for the last two seasons running, having shared in with Liam Lawrence with fifteen goals for 2007/08 and won it outright with eleven for 2008/09, he is a firm fans’ favourite. Whenever he receives the ball in the opposition’s half there is an air of expectancy amongst Stoke supporters, who know they may just be treated to a sublime moment of class, such as his wondergoal against Aston Villa in August 2008, or his stunning solo effort to seal his hat-trick against West Brom the season before.

Then there are his bad days. Some games he looks disinterested. Others whatever he attempts seems to fail as he gets increasingly frustrated with opponents, officials and himself, which can quickly lead to his volatile temper snapping. He has seen red three times in his Stoke career, all for violent conduct, most recently after striking his own captain Andy Griffin at West Ham last December.

Though his actions that day were utterly reprehensible, it’s a credit to him that he bounced back and produced some of his best form in a Stoke shirt towards the end of the season, and if it wasn’t for the brilliance of Abdoulaye Faye he could well have challenged for the player of the season award.

With a half century of caps for Jamaica, he’s as much a hero in his homeland as he is in the Potteries, and after three years of goals and entertainment, whatever happens in the future, he will go down as one of the best loved players in the modern era of Stoke City Football club.