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Andrew Crofts (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Lawrence Crofts (born 29 May 1984) is a Wales international
footballer who plays for Norwich City
as a midfielder
.
He started his career with Gillingham
, for whom he made his Football League
debut at the age of 16, and made over 190 appearances for the Kent
-based club. He had loans at Peterborough United
and Wrexham during the 2008–09
season and joined Brighton & Hove Albion
in 2009. After a successful season at Brighton he transferred to Norwich City
in 2010.
Crofts represented Wales, where one of his grandparents was born, at under-19 and under-21 level and won his first senior cap
in 2005. In 2008 he won his 12th cap, breaking the record for the most international caps received by a Gillingham
player.
, and began playing competitive football at the age of six for a club in nearby Rainham. Between the ages of 10 and 15 he attended weekly training sessions organised by Premier League club Chelsea
. He also tried out on two occasions for the English Schools Football Association
's national schoolboy team, but was unsuccessful.
as a trainee and was a regular in the club's youth
and reserve
teams during the 2000–01 season. At the end of the season, shortly before his 17th birthday, he was a surprise inclusion in the first team squad for a match at home to Watford
, and made his Football League
debut as a late substitute, replacing Marlon King
. The following season he suffered a broken leg during a reserve team match and missed several months of the season. Although he returned to action in early 2002, his next appearance for the first team did not come until October, when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup
match against Stockport County
. This was to be his only senior appearance of the 2002–03 season. He finally secured a regular first team place towards the end of the following season, featuring regularly during March and April 2004.
Crofts was a first team regular in the 2004–05 season, making 27 Football League appearances, and scoring his first senior goal for the club in a defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion
on 26 December. In January 2005 he signed a new contract designed to keep him at the club until 2009. He was omitted from the team for most of March and April, but was recalled for the last match of the season, in which a draw with Nottingham Forest
led to the "Gills" being relegated
from the Football League Championship
, the second tier of English football, to Football League One
, the third tier. In the 2005–06 season he made the most appearances of any player in the Gillingham squad, missing only one of the team's 46 matches in League One. Although the team struggled in the league, finishing in the lower half of the table, they defeated Premier League team Portsmouth
in the League Cup
, with Crofts scoring the winning goal. The following season he again made over 40 appearances and also scored eight goals, his best total for an individual season, but Gillingham again finished the season in the bottom half of the table. He made his 100th start for the club on 18 December 2006 in a match against Bournemouth
, and marked the occasion with a goal. At the end of the season he won four awards at the club's Player of the Year event and was dubbed Mr Gillingham by then-manager Ronnie Jepson
. He took over as team captain in the 2007–08
season, but it was an unsuccessful season for the team, who were relegated from League One. The following October he was stripped of the captaincy, which was instead given to Barry Fuller
. Manager Mark Stimson
stated that he felt that the captaincy might have been too much of a burden for Crofts, and had a negative effect on his form. Soon afterwards, the club made Crofts available for transfer
. In November 2008 he joined Peterborough United
on loan. Shortly after returning to Gillingham the following January he went on a second loan period, this time to Wrexham until the end of the season. He made his debut on the same day in a 2–1 defeat to Burton Albion
. Upon his return to Gillingham from his loan spell, he was released from his contract.
On 29 June 2009, Crofts agreed to join League One
club Brighton & Hove Albion
on a two-year contract. He made his debut for Brighton during the 1–0 home defeat to Walsall
on 8 August 2009 and scored his first goal for Brighton during the 2–2 draw at Yeovil Town
on 10 October 2009. Crofts was given the role of captain by new manager Gus Poyet before the 3–1 away victory at Southampton
. Crofts was later confirmed as permanent captain at the beginning of January 2010.
announced the acquisition of Crofts from Brighton, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £300,000. He became the club's first signing of the summer transfer window, signing a three-year deal at Carrow Road
. On 6 August 2010, he scored a goal on his debut against Watford
. He subsequently gained promotion to the Premier League with the "Canaries" in his first season at the club. Since then, he has kept his place as a regular starter for Norwich in the top tier.
he was eligible to play for the Welsh national team
, and after representing the country at under-19 and under-21 level he won his first senior cap
, an award given to a player representing his national team, in 2005. In 2008 he won his twelfth cap, breaking the record for the most international caps received by a Gillingham player. Crofts was selected for the Welsh national under-19 team
in 2002, qualifying due to having a Welsh grandparent. He made his first appearance for the team in the Milk Cup
tournament in Northern Ireland
, but was forced to return home after suffering an ankle injury in the Welsh team's first match. In total he made eight appearances at under-19 level, including appearing in a second Milk Cup in 2003.
After moving up to the under-21 level Crofts was selected for the national under-21 team
for the first time for a match against Germany
in February 2005. He went on to gain 12 caps
at this level, scoring one goal.
He made his debut for the Welsh national team
against Azerbaijan
on 12 October 2005, coming on as a substitute for Carl Fletcher. At the end of the 2005–06 season, as part of manager John Toshack
's policy of introducing young players to the team, Crofts gained two further caps, both as a substitute, against Paraguay
and Trinidad & Tobago, and also played in an unofficial international match against a Basque Country XI
.
He was included in the starting line-up for an international for the first time in August 2007 when he played the full 90 minutes of a match against Bulgaria
, but was back on the substitutes' bench for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Germany
the following month. He became established as a regular member of the Welsh squad during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
tournament.
and at one time shared a flat with the club's future captain John Terry
. During his time as captain of Gillingham he was involved with a number of charity events, including acting as a celebrity waiter at a Gillingham
pub and presenting a signed shirt to a brain damaged teenage fan. In January 2005 he dedicated a match-winning goal to his grandmother Lily, who had died several months earlier.
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
footballer who plays for Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
He started his career with Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
, for whom he made his Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debut at the age of 16, and made over 190 appearances for the Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
-based club. He had loans at Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
and Wrexham during the 2008–09
2008–09 in English football
The 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...
season and joined Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
in 2009. After a successful season at Brighton he transferred to Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
in 2010.
Crofts represented Wales, where one of his grandparents was born, at under-19 and under-21 level and won his first senior cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
in 2005. In 2008 he won his 12th cap, breaking the record for the most international caps received by a Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
player.
Early life
Crofts was born in Chatham, KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and began playing competitive football at the age of six for a club in nearby Rainham. Between the ages of 10 and 15 he attended weekly training sessions organised by Premier League club Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. He also tried out on two occasions for the English Schools Football Association
English Schools Football Association
The English Schools Football Association is the governing body of schools' football in England, and is responsible for the running and development of schools competitions and festivals for boys and girls at primary and secondary school age....
's national schoolboy team, but was unsuccessful.
Gillingham
In September 2000, Crofts joined GillinghamGillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
as a trainee and was a regular in the club's youth
Youth system
Youth system is a sporting terminology used to refer to a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team if they show enough promise, and to fill up squads numbers in some teams...
and reserve
Reserve team
Large professional sports clubs often have far more players under contract than could possibly play in a match. As a result, many of these clubs create second teams composed of players who need playing time, but have little hope of playing on the first team. The players on this second team are...
teams during the 2000–01 season. At the end of the season, shortly before his 17th birthday, he was a surprise inclusion in the first team squad for a match at home to Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
, and made his Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
debut as a late substitute, replacing Marlon King
Marlon King
Marlon Francis King is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Birmingham City. After starting his career in non-League football with Dulwich Hamlet, he played for Barnet, Gillingham, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest before moving to Watford in 2005...
. The following season he suffered a broken leg during a reserve team match and missed several months of the season. Although he returned to action in early 2002, his next appearance for the first team did not come until October, when he came on as a substitute in a League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match against Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
. This was to be his only senior appearance of the 2002–03 season. He finally secured a regular first team place towards the end of the following season, featuring regularly during March and April 2004.
Crofts was a first team regular in the 2004–05 season, making 27 Football League appearances, and scoring his first senior goal for the club in a defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
on 26 December. In January 2005 he signed a new contract designed to keep him at the club until 2009. He was omitted from the team for most of March and April, but was recalled for the last match of the season, in which a draw with Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
led to the "Gills" being relegated
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
from the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
, the second tier of English football, to Football League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
, the third tier. In the 2005–06 season he made the most appearances of any player in the Gillingham squad, missing only one of the team's 46 matches in League One. Although the team struggled in the league, finishing in the lower half of the table, they defeated Premier League team Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
, with Crofts scoring the winning goal. The following season he again made over 40 appearances and also scored eight goals, his best total for an individual season, but Gillingham again finished the season in the bottom half of the table. He made his 100th start for the club on 18 December 2006 in a match against Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....
, and marked the occasion with a goal. At the end of the season he won four awards at the club's Player of the Year event and was dubbed Mr Gillingham by then-manager Ronnie Jepson
Ronnie Jepson
Ronald Francis "Ronnie" Jepson is an English former footballer and manager, now working as development coach at Queens Park Rangers....
. He took over as team captain in the 2007–08
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
season, but it was an unsuccessful season for the team, who were relegated from League One. The following October he was stripped of the captaincy, which was instead given to Barry Fuller
Barry Fuller
Barry Marc Fuller is an English footballer, currently playing for Gillingham as a defender, favoured as right-back....
. Manager Mark Stimson
Mark Stimson
Mark Nicholas Stimson is an English former footballer and current manager of Kettering Town. He signed his first professional contract with Tottenham Hotspur in 1985, but was unable to gain a regular place in the team. In 1989, he moved on to Newcastle United, where he made over 80 appearances in...
stated that he felt that the captaincy might have been too much of a burden for Crofts, and had a negative effect on his form. Soon afterwards, the club made Crofts available for transfer
Transfer (football)
In professional association football, a transfer is the action taken whenever a player under contract moves between professional clubs. It refers to the transferring of a player's registration from one professional association football club to another. In general, the players can only be...
. In November 2008 he joined Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...
on loan. Shortly after returning to Gillingham the following January he went on a second loan period, this time to Wrexham until the end of the season. He made his debut on the same day in a 2–1 defeat to Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...
. Upon his return to Gillingham from his loan spell, he was released from his contract.
Brighton & Hove Albion
On 29 June 2009, Crofts agreed to join League One
Football League One
Football League One is the second-highest division of The Football League and third-highest division overall in the English football league system....
club Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
on a two-year contract. He made his debut for Brighton during the 1–0 home defeat to Walsall
Walsall F.C.
Walsall Football Club are an English association football club based in Walsall, West Midlands. They currently play in League One. The club was founded in 1888 as Walsall Town Swifts, an amalgamation of Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. The club was one of the founder members of the Second...
on 8 August 2009 and scored his first goal for Brighton during the 2–2 draw at Yeovil Town
Yeovil Town F.C.
Yeovil Town F.C. are an English association football team based in Yeovil, Somerset. The club play in League One after having won the League Two championship in 2004–05...
on 10 October 2009. Crofts was given the role of captain by new manager Gus Poyet before the 3–1 away victory at Southampton
Southampton F.C.
Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...
. Crofts was later confirmed as permanent captain at the beginning of January 2010.
Norwich City
On 21 May 2010, Norwich CityNorwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
announced the acquisition of Crofts from Brighton, for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £300,000. He became the club's first signing of the summer transfer window, signing a three-year deal at Carrow Road
Carrow Road
Carrow Road is a football stadium in Norwich, England, and is the home of Norwich City Football Club. The stadium is located toward the easterly end of the city, not far from Norwich railway station and the River Wensum....
. On 6 August 2010, he scored a goal on his debut against Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...
. He subsequently gained promotion to the Premier League with the "Canaries" in his first season at the club. Since then, he has kept his place as a regular starter for Norwich in the top tier.
International career
As one of his grandparents was born in WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
he was eligible to play for the Welsh national team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
, and after representing the country at under-19 and under-21 level he won his first senior cap
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
, an award given to a player representing his national team, in 2005. In 2008 he won his twelfth cap, breaking the record for the most international caps received by a Gillingham player. Crofts was selected for the Welsh national under-19 team
Wales national under-19 football team
The Wales national under-19 football team is the national under-19 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship held every year.-Recent history:...
in 2002, qualifying due to having a Welsh grandparent. He made his first appearance for the team in the Milk Cup
Milk Cup
The Milk Cup is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of Northern Ireland, with matches taking place in the towns of Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, Limavady, Coleraine, Ballymoney, Ballymena and...
tournament in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, but was forced to return home after suffering an ankle injury in the Welsh team's first match. In total he made eight appearances at under-19 level, including appearing in a second Milk Cup in 2003.
After moving up to the under-21 level Crofts was selected for the national under-21 team
Wales national under-21 football team
The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
for the first time for a match against Germany
Germany national under-21 football team
The Germany national under-21 football team represents the under-21s of Germany in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and is controlled by the German Football Association , the governing body of football in Germany....
in February 2005. He went on to gain 12 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
at this level, scoring one goal.
He made his debut for the Welsh national team
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
against Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan national football team
The Azerbaijan national football team is the national football team of Azerbaijan and is controlled by Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan...
on 12 October 2005, coming on as a substitute for Carl Fletcher. At the end of the 2005–06 season, as part of manager John Toshack
John Toshack
John Benjamin Toshack OBE is a Welsh former footballer and manager. He is currently the manager of Macedonia. He has also managed several others clubs including Swansea City, who he took from the Fourth Division to the First in four seasons.As a player, he is remembered for being part of the...
's policy of introducing young players to the team, Crofts gained two further caps, both as a substitute, against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and Trinidad & Tobago, and also played in an unofficial international match against a Basque Country XI
Basque Country national football team
The Basque Country football team is considered the national team of the Basque Country greater region as selected players from the Basque Country Autonomous Community, the nearby Navarre and the Northern Basque Country in France play for it...
.
He was included in the starting line-up for an international for the first time in August 2007 when he played the full 90 minutes of a match against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
, but was back on the substitutes' bench for the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying match against Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
the following month. He became established as a regular member of the Welsh squad during the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
tournament.
Career statistics
- Statistics correct as of 26 November 2011.
Club performance Club Season Football League The Football LeagueThe Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...FA Cup FA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...Football League Cup Football League CupThe Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...Football League Trophy Football League TrophyThe Football League Trophy, currently known as the Johnstone's Paint Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English association football knock-out competition open to the 48 clubs in Football League One and Football League Two, the bottom two divisions in the four fully professional top...Total Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Gillingham Gillingham F.C.Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...2000–01 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2001–02 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2002–03 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2003–04 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 0 2004–05 27 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 28 1 2005–06 45 2 1 0 3 1 2 0 51 3 2006–07 43 8 2 0 1 1 1 0 47 9 2007–08 41 5 1 0 1 0 0 0 43 5 2008–09 2008–09 in English footballThe 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...9 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 11 0 Peterborough United Peterborough United F.C.Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...2008–09 2008–09 in English footballThe 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 Wrexham 2008–09 2008–09 in English footballThe 2008–09 season was the 129th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* West Bromwich Albion, Stoke City and Hull City were all playing in the Premier League after winning promotion from the Championship last season. Stoke returned to the top flight after a 23-year absence, while...16 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 18 1 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....2009–10 2009–10 in English footballThe 2009–10 season was the 130th season of competitive football in England.The season began on 8 August 2009 for the Championship, League One and League Two and 15 August 2009 for the Premier League...44 5 5 2 1 0 0 0 50 7 Norwich City Norwich City F.C.Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...2010–11 2010–11 in English footballThe 2010–11 season was the 131st season of competitive football in England.The season began on 6 August 2010 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier League and Football Conference both starting eight days later on 14 August 2010. The Championship, League One, and League Two ended on 7 May...44 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 44 8 2011–12 2011–12 in English footballThe 2011–12 season is the 132nd season of competitive football in England.The season began on 5 August 2011 for the Football Leagues, with the Premier starting eight days later, League Football Conference Starting one day before Premier League starts.The Championship, League One, and League Two...13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 Career totals 296 31 11 2 9 2 5 0 321 33
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales U21 Wales national under-21 football team The Wales national under-21 football team, also known as the Wales U21s, is the national under-21 football team of Wales and is controlled by the Football Association of Wales. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years... |
2005–06 | 10 | 1 |
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wales Wales national football team The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international... |
2005–06 | 1 | 0 |
| 2006–07 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2008–09 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2009–10 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 | 7 | 0 | |
| Career totals | 22 | 0 | |
International goals
Under–21- Score and results list Wales U21's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 16 August 2005 Stebonheath Park Stebonheath ParkStebonheath Park is a multi-use stadium in Llanelli, West Wales with a capacity of 3,700. It is primarily used as a football ground and is the home of Llanelli Football Club.It is also used for athletics and Llanelli Amateur Athletic Club are based at the stadium...
, LlanelliLlanelliLlanelli , the largest town in both the county of Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed , Wales, sits on the Loughor estuary on the West Wales coast, approximately west-north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carmarthen. The town is famous for its proud rugby...
1–0 3–1 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
Personal life
Crofts is a fan of ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and at one time shared a flat with the club's future captain John Terry
John Terry
John George Terry is an English professional footballer. Terry plays in a centre back position and is the captain of Chelsea in the Premier League...
. During his time as captain of Gillingham he was involved with a number of charity events, including acting as a celebrity waiter at a Gillingham
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
pub and presenting a signed shirt to a brain damaged teenage fan. In January 2005 he dedicated a match-winning goal to his grandmother Lily, who had died several months earlier.
External links
- Andrew Crofts profile at the Brighton & Hove Albion website
- Andrew Crofts profile at the Norwich City website