Ex-Birmingham City, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa player confirms retirement | OneFootball

Gary Gardner has officially hung up his boots and called it a day on his playing career

Gary Gardner has officially announced his retirement from football after a career in which he played for the likes of Birmingham City, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

The 34-year-old departed the Blues in 2024, making the switch to Cambridge United, but he failed to make a single appearance during his year with the club.

The midfielder’s last competitive appearance came in a 3-0 win over Coventry City on 13 April 2024, which wasn’t enough to keep the club in the Championship.

Gardner made a total of 16 appearances for the Blues as they suffered relegation to League One, which ultimately led to his exit.

He began his career with the Sky Blues, having gone on loan there for a brief stint as part of his breakthrough into senior football.

The veteran started his career at Aston Villa, coming through their academy system in 2011 before departing in 2019.

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Gardner has released a lengthy statement on his Instagram account confirming his retirement from playing football, claiming that he fulfilled his boyhood dreams.

The 34-year-old highlighted injury issues early in his career, and that he learned to never take anything for granted in this sport, as he’s grateful for all the memories he’s created over the last two decades.

“I would like to officially announce my retirement as a professional footballer,” wrote Gardner.

“As a young boy, my dream was to play in the Premier League, and to have been able to achieve that dream meant the world to me.

“Representing my country at various levels was a very proud moment, and playing for Birmingham City, the club I supported as a boy, made it even more special.

“To put on the blues shirt and represent the club I had grown up supporting was a true honour.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to share the pitch with the most incredible players, what a privilege.

“Those memories will stay with me forever.

“Unfortunately, injuries are a part of football, and they hit me hard early on in my career.

“There were times when I genuinely questioned whether I would ever play again.

“But those moments taught me some of the biggest lessons of my life — that with hard work, dedication, discipline, perseverance and the right mindset, you can come back from anything.

“Football has given me memories, challenges, friendships, and experiences that I will carry with me forever.

“I’ve learned to never take a moment for granted and, most importantly, to always be grateful for the opportunity to step foot onto the grass.”

Gardner also went on to thank his family, former teammates and the fans for the support they showed him through his career.

Gary Gardner’s career highs and lows

Gardner suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury prior to breaking into senior football, which was a major setback for his development.

Upon his return, he went out on loan to Coventry for a month’s long loan in November 2011.

The midfielder went on to make 16 Premier League appearances for Villa, including five starts, before a series of loan spells.

The 34-year-old went out to Sheffield Wednesday, Brighton and had two spells at Nottingham Forest, before moving temporarily to Barnsley.

Gardner’s final loan stint was with Aston Villa’s bitter rivals Birmingham, where he made 40 appearances in the Championship before sealing a permanent move in 2019.

He also made appearances for England at U17, U19, U20 and U21 level, but never made it to the senior team.

Gardner will be remembered fondly by Birmingham supporters for making 171 Championship appearances for the club, contributing 15 goals and five assists.

It remains to be seen what next for the former Blues star, who has formally announced his retirement 16 months after his last competitive game.

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Gary Gardner recovered well from horrific injury issue

Gardner’s career could have easily been finished before it even began when he suffered an ACL injury in 2009 as a teenager.

That easily could’ve derailed his hopes of making it as a senior professional, but he worked hard to get back to a strong fitness level and he carved out an impressive career for himself.

While he bounced around a lot on various loan spells, he finally cemented himself somewhere at Birmingham and that’s where he will be most fondly remembered.

Gardner was recognised with the Players’ Player of the Year award in 2021/22, which was a fine reward in what was his final season as a regular member of the first team squad, playing just 24 times in the next two campaigns.