our new stricker....Ricardo Fuller
Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:56 am
Ricardo Fuller (born October 21, 1979 in Kingston, Jamaica) is a Jamaican association football (soccer) player who currently plays as a striker for English Championship club Southampton. But is On loan at Ipswich Town F.C. also in the Championship for one month.
Fuller began his career with Tivoli Gardens before moving to English club Crystal Palace in February 2001 for £1million, after impressing on trial during January. Despite this he played just eight games for Palace (having suffered from knee problems; fans nicknamed him 'Glass-Knees'), and after failing to settle, he returned to Tivoli at the end of the campaign.
Fuller spent the next season (2001/02) on loan at Scottish club Hearts. Fuller had an instant impact, scoring ten goals in 29 appearances. However, the Edinburgh-based club couldn't afford to sign Fuller on a permanent basis, and so English league side Preston North End stepped in to sign the striker, paying £500,000.
Fuller scored on his Preston debut, a 2-1 defeat at home to old club Crystal Palace, and soon became a vital team player. He had an explosive scoring rate, but unfortunately he suffered knee ligament damage in early December, which ended his season prematurely. He had scored 11 goals in only 20 appearances for the club.
A fit again Fuller began the 2003/04 season on fire, including a run of six goals in five games, but his form tailed off as his knee troubled him once more. Despite this, he still scored 19 goals that season.
Both Leeds United and Portsmouth then displayed their interest, however, Fuller's knee problems meant both clubs withdrew their offers after he failed medicals. However, Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp was still keen on the Jamaican and Pompey negotiated a 'pay-as-you-play' deal with Fuller, meaning they would not lose a great deal of money should his recurring knee injuries force him to miss long periods of seasons. Fuller moved to Fratton Park in August 2004 for £1 million, after scoring 31 goals in only 63 appearances for Preston.
Fuller failed to make a huge impact in the FA Premier League, falling down the pecking order as the season progressed. Despite the sale of some of his fellow strikers at the end of the season, the return from long-term injury by strikers Vincent Pericard and Svetoslav Todorov, and the purchase of Collins Mbesuma, meant Fuller was not guaranteed first team football at Portsmouth. New mangager Alain Perrin agreed to let Fuller go, and Harry Redknapp, now at Southampton, swooped to sign him for only £90k.
Fuller is one of the most dynamic and dangerous players currently playing for the Jamaican national team.
...I guess I did pretty well there. 
