Richard Garcia

Football player infobox
playername = Richard Garcia
fullname = Richard Garcia


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1981|9|4
cityofbirth = Perth
countryofbirth = Australia
height = height|m=1.80
currentclub = Hull City
clubnumber = 14
position = Striker, Right Winger
youthyears =
youthclubs = Kingsway Olympic
years = 1999-2004 2000 2004-2007
2007–
clubs = West Ham United → Leyton Orient (loan) Colchester United Hull City
caps(goals) = 16 0(0)
18 0(4)
82 (16)
43 0(6)
nationalyears =
2008-
nationalteam = Australia U-23
Australia
nationalcaps(goals) =
3 (0)
pcupdate = 21:21, 5 October 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 17:30, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Richard Garcia (born September 4, 1981 in Perth) is an Australian football player, currently playing for Hull City. He has previously played for West Ham United and Colchester United.

Club career

West Ham United

Garcia was a product of the famed West Ham United youth academy, moving from Australia to England to join the Hammers at the age of fifteen after being spotted by a scout who had initially gone to watch his brother.cite journal|date=October 2008|title=International Honours|journal=City Magazine|publisher=Hull City AFC|issue=issue 38|pages=pages 27-30] He was a key member of the team that won the FA Youth Cup and FA Premier Youth League double in 1998-99, scoring in every round of West Ham's run to the Youth Cup Final, eight in total. [cite web| last = Barber| first =David | title =The class of '99 | work = | publisher =TheFA.com | date =2006-04-01 | url = http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFAYouthCup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2006/02/FAYouthCup_WestHam.htm| accessdate =2007-07-01 ] He signed professional terms at West Ham in August 1999, and went out on loan to local side Leyton Orient in August 2000, making 21 appearances in League and Cup competitions and scoring four goals.cite web| title =Richard Garcia | work = Soccerbase| publisher =Racing Post | url = http://www.soccerbase.com/players_details.sd?playerid=21391| accessdate =2007-07-01 ] Injury to his knee ligaments ended his season and he returned to West Ham in November 2000. [cite news |title =Striking problems at Brisbane Road | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2000-11-16| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leyton_orient/1026248.stm | accessdate =2007-07-01 ] He made his first team debut for West Ham in a League Cup match away at Reading in September 2001, but failed to gain a regular place in the team. After West Ham were relegated to the First Division in 2003, Garcia featured a few more times for the first-team, but made only 16 league appearances for the club before moving on to Colchester United in 2004.

Colchester United

Garcia signed for Colchester United in September 2004 for an undisclosed fee, and made his debut in the same month against Swindon Town. He went on to make 30 appearances in the 2004-05 season, scoring six goals. The following season Garcia played an important part in helping the club to second place in League One and promotion to the Championship, [cite web| title =Richard Garcia | work = Player Profiles| publisher =Colchester United F.C. Official Site | url = http://www.cu-fc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Squad/PlayerProfiles/0,,10424~19038,00.html| accessdate =2007-07-01 ] and to the fifth-round of the FA Cup where they were beaten by English champions Chelsea, although Colchester were at one point winning the match after Garcia's cross was put into his own net by Ricardo Carvalho. [cite news |title =Chelsea 3-1 Colchester | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2006-02-19| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/4703922.stm | accessdate =2007-07-01 ] Garcia's season was cut short by a knee injury in March 2006, which later required surgery. [cite news |title =Surgery for Colchester ace Garcia | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2006-04-24| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/colchester_united/4940302.stm | accessdate =2007-07-01 ] Following the end of the season, Garcia signed a new contract with the club. [cite news |title =Garcia pens new Colchester deal | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2006-06-01| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/colchester_united/5037866.stm | accessdate =2007-07-01 ] In August 2006, he scored Colchester's first goal of the 2006-07 season in the Championship on the opening game against Birmingham City, [cite news |title =Birmingham 2-1 Colchester | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2006-08-05| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/5226750.stm | accessdate =2007-07-01 ] going on to make 36 league appearances, scoring seven goals, as Colchester pushed for a place in the end of season promotion playoff positions. [cite news |title =Garcia primed for play-off push | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2007-04-22| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/colchester_united/6581741.stm| accessdate =2007-07-01 ] At the end of the season, Garcia had made a total of 96 appearances in all competitions for Colchester, scoring 21 goals.

Hull City

Despite the offer of a new deal at Colchester, Garcia signed a three year contract with Hull City on 2 July 2007, on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. [cite news |title =Garcia leaves Colchester for Hull | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2007-07-02| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/h/hull_city/6225940.stm| accessdate =2008-03-25 ] He made his league debut for Hull against Plymouth Argyle in August 2007 and scored his first goal in the next game in the 3–0 win over Crewe Alexandra. [cite news |title =Crewe 0-3 Hull | publisher =BBC Sport | date = 2007-08-15| url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/6941755.stm| accessdate =2008-03-25 ] He played a leading role in the club's push for promotion in the 2007-08 season, despite a shoulder injury suffered in April 2008. [cite news|url=http://www.sporthull.co.uk/football/hull_city/tigers_news/displayarticle.php?ID=6457|title=Garcia determined to return|date=2008-04-24|publisher=Hull Daily Mail|accessdate=2008-05-23] Garcia returns to the Premiership a seasoned professional after Hull City's promotion play-off victory over Bristol City in May 2008. Garcia started Hull's first top flight game against Fulham on 16th August 2008, and performed well in his favoured right wing position. The following weekend at Ewood Park in a 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers, he scored Hull's equaliser with a brilliant header in the 39th minute, two minutes after Jason Roberts had given Blackburn the lead.

International career

In an interview with Australia's Sun-Herald newspaper in April 2008, Garcia said he had ambitions to play for the Socceroos, Australia's national team, and hoped that his good form for Hull in their push for promotion to the Premier League would help him to achieve this. [cite news| last=Hall |first= Matthew |title =Garcia who? Quiet Australian ready to star | work = | publisher = The Age | date =2008-04-13 | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/soccer/garcia-who-quiet-australian-ready-to-star/2008/04/12/1207856925658.html| accessdate =2008-04-13 ] On 19 August 2008 he received his first senior international cap when he came on as a second half substitute in the friendly against South Africa at Loftus Road in London.That match ended in a 2-2 draw.

Personal life

Garcia speaks fluent Spanish and supports Real Madrid. He became close friends with Michael Carrick during their time at West Ham, and they were ushers at each other's weddings. [cite journal|date=October 2008|title=Full Circle|journal=City Magazine|publisher=Hull City AFC|issue=issue 38|pages=page 33]

References

External links

* [http://www.hullcityafc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10338~19038,00.html Hull City profile]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/G/GA.html Oz Football profile]
*soccerbase|id=21391|name=Richard Garcia