John Hartson
Encyclopedia
John Hartson is a former Welsh
international footballer who played as a striker
, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic
. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales
, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006. He retired from professional football after being released by West Bromwich Albion in January 2008, ending a career also spent at Luton Town
, Arsenal
, Wimbledon
, Coventry City
and Norwich City
.
, as the third of four children to Cyril and Diana Hartson. Cyril had also played football for local team Afan Lido
. Hartson grew up in Talycoppa, Swansea, alongside his elder brother James, elder sister Hayley and younger sister Victoria. As a youngster Hartson represented Lonlas Boys' Club in Skewen
, playing his first match aged six. He joined Luton Town
's Youth Training Scheme
at the age of sixteen but was suspended four months later for stealing a bank card from the son of a couple with whom he was lodging. He used the card to withdraw £50 in order to fund his gambling addiction. Hartson was suspended and sent home to Swansea but was reinstated by Luton shortly afterwards and allowed to resume his apprenticeship.
defeat to Cambridge United
on 24 August 1993. In January 1995 he joined Arsenal
for £2.5 million, a British record fee for a teenage player at the time. He was one of George Graham
's last signings before his sacking in February 1995, along with Chris Kiwomya
. He made his Arsenal debut on 14 January 1995 and was a regular in his first season, the highlight of which was scoring Arsenal's 75th minute equaliser in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
against Real Zaragoza
; however a last-minute goal from 40 yards by Nayim
over David Seaman
meant Arsenal lost the game 2–1. He was strike-partner to Ian Wright, being favoured ahead of Kevin Campbell
by filling the gap left by the injured Alan Smith, who retired at the end of the season.
With the signing of Dennis Bergkamp
, who was preferred up front to partner Ian Wright
, Hartson featured less under Graham's successors Bruce Rioch
and Arsène Wenger
. With Wenger angling for the signing of Nicolas Anelka
in early 1997, he made it clear Hartson was surplus to requirements and in February 1997 he was sold to West Ham United
for £3.2 million. At the time, he was the most expensive player to be signed by West Ham. It had initially been reported that the deal was worth £5million.
In total he had played 70 times (15 as substitute) for Arsenal, scoring 17 goals.
In a training ground incident in 1998, Hartson kicked West Ham team-mate Eyal Berkovic
in the face, after the Israeli midfielder had punched Hartson in the leg as he attempted to help Berkovic to his feet. The incident was captured on camera. Hartson was fined for the incident. Hartson has admitted in his biography that this was an error of judgement.
In the 1998 close season, Manchester United
chairman Martin Edwards
and assistant manager Brian Kidd
expressed their desire for Hartson to sign for Manchester United to manager Alex Ferguson
. However, Ferguson decided against making a bid for Hartson.
in January 1999, becoming the club's most expensive signing ever at £7.5m. His time with the Dons was marred by injury, though he still managed a respectable goal tally, first in the Premier League, then the First Division following the club's relegation in 2000. Moves to Rangers
, Spurs
and Charlton
fell through due to doubts over the player's fitness, and he instead joined Coventry City
on a pay-for-play deal in February 2001.
in a £6m transfer. He played for the Scottish Premier League
club for five seasons. In March 2004, he dropped out for the remainder of the football season for surgery to his back; however, he recovered in time for Wales' unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup
.
In April 2005 he shared the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year award with Fernando Ricksen
and a short time later in May he was voted the Scottish Football Writers' Association Player of the Year
.
On 6 November 2005 Hartson scored his 100th goal for Celtic
against Falkirk
. He scored the only goal against Hearts
, on 5 April 2006, (his 31st birthday) to clinch the title for Celtic.
Hartson was sent off on a number of occasions, one being a notable dismissal towards the end of an Old Firm
derby, when he was sent-off for violent conduct along with Celtic
team-mate Johan Mjallby
and Rangers player Fernando Ricksen
. Hartson's dismissal was overturned on appeal.
In December 2002, Celtic defeated Celta Vigo in the first leg of a third round UEFA Cup tie 1-0. Celtic were beaten 2-1 in Vigo, thus progressing on the "away goals" rule to the next round due to John Hartson's turn and strike. This was the first time that Celtic had remained in European competition after Christmas since the 1970s. In March 2003, Celtic faced Liverpool in the UEFA Cup at the quarter final stage, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw in Glasgow. In the return leg at Anfield, John Hartson fired the club's goal of the season with a strike past Jerzy Dudek into the top corner from over 25 yards out. Celtic won this match 2-0, progressing to the semi-final, where they knocked out Boavista of Portugal to progress to the final. Unfortunately for John Hartson, after playing a major role in getting Celtic all the way through the tournament, most notably with his strikes in Liverpool and Vigo, as well as many assists, he was ruled out of the final through injury. Celtic were defeated 3-2 in the final after extra time by Jose Mourinho's FC Porto
Football League Championship
side West Bromwich Albion in a £500,000 move. Hartson scored twice on his Albion debut in a 2–0 Hawthorns win against Hull City on 5 August 2006.
On 31 August 2007, The Times
said that Hartson had signed for League One
club Nottingham Forest on a loan move. On 5 September 2007, the Western Mail reported that Hartson had rejected a firm approach from Forest and was on the verge of signing for his hometown club Swansea City on loan. However the club quickly issued a statement on its website denying the striker was set to sign.
In October 2007 Hartson joined Norwich City
on a month's loan. Although Norwich had the option to extend the loan until 31 December, newly appointed manager Glenn Roeder
decided to send Hartson back to the Midlands after the initial month period. He then rejected an offer to join Chester City
on loan. In January 2008 Hartson was released by West Bromwich Albion, six months before the end of his contract.
On 7 February 2008 Hartson announced his retirement from professional football citing his long term struggles with weight and fitness as major reasons for finishing his footballing career.
, scoring 14 goals. He is currently the 9th top scorer of all time for the international team. He also holds a record for the Wales U21
team by being one of only four people to have scored a hat-trick at that level alongside Craig Davies, Lee Jones and Ched Evans
.
Hartson retired from international football in February 2006 in order to concentrate on his career with Celtic but in August that year he stated that he would come out of retirement to play if John Toshack
needed him.
in the Scottish Football League Third Division
offered Hartson the chance to succeed Gordon Wylde
as manager, but Hartson rejected the opportunity, saying that, "the timing is just not right for me at the moment." Hartson joined Setanta Sports
as a pundit for the 2008–09 season, as part of the broadcaster's coverage of the Scottish Premier League
. A Welsh
speaker, Hartson appears regularly as a studio guest on S4C
's Sgorio
. He is also a regular pundit on ITV
's coverage of the FA Cup
. In 2011 Hartson was appointed part-time coach with Newport County.
after being diagnosed with testicular cancer
which had spread
to his brain. It was later reported the cancer had spread to his lungs and that he remained in a "critical condition" following emergency surgery. The treatment was successful and by December of that year it was reported that the cancer had been virtually eradicated from Hartson's body although he would have more surgery and treatment to come.
Hartson has a son, James, who plays for Portsmouth Academy
.
|1992–93
||rowspan="3"|Luton Town
||rowspan="3"|First Division
||0||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1993–94
||34||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95
||20||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95
||rowspan="3"|Arsenal
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||15||7||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96
||19||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97
||19||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97
||rowspan="3"|West Ham United
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||11||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98
||32||15||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99
||17||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99
||rowspan="3"|Wimbledon
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||14||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00
||16||10||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01
||First Division
||19||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01
||Coventry City
||Premier League||12||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02
||rowspan="5"|Celtic
||rowspan="5"|Premier League
||31||19||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03
||27||18||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04
||15||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05
||38||25||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06
||35||18||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07
||West Bromwich Albion
||Championship
||21||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08
||Norwich City
||Championship
||4||0||||||||||||||||
253||80||18||7||22||9||11||1||304||97
146||88||12||8||11||7||32||6||201||109
399||168||30||15||33||16||43||7||505||206
|-
|1995||4||0
|-
|1996||3||0
|-
|1997||4||1
|-
|1998||3||1
|-
|1999||4||0
|-
|2000||2||0
|-
|2001||6||4
|-
|2002||7||2
|-
|2003||7||3
|-
|2004||5||3
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
!Total||51||14
|}
Wales
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...
international footballer who played as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
. Hartson also featured prominently for 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...
, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006. He retired from professional football after being released by West Bromwich Albion in January 2008, ending a career also spent at Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
and 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...
.
Early life
Hartson was born on 5 April 1975 in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, as the third of four children to Cyril and Diana Hartson. Cyril had also played football for local team Afan Lido
Afan Lido F.C.
Afan Lido F.C. is a football team based in Aberavon playing in the Welsh Premier League.-History:The club was founded in 1967, and they play at the Marston Stadium, Aberavon, which accommodates 4200 spectators .-Current squad:...
. Hartson grew up in Talycoppa, Swansea, alongside his elder brother James, elder sister Hayley and younger sister Victoria. As a youngster Hartson represented Lonlas Boys' Club in Skewen
Skewen
Skewen is a village within the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, in Wales.The village is served by Skewen railway station.-History:Skewen was once an industrial village. There were a number of collieries around the village . The Crown and Mines Royal Copper Works and the Cheadle and Neath...
, playing his first match aged six. He joined Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
's Youth Training Scheme
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme was the former name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17, managed by the Manpower Services Commission...
at the age of sixteen but was suspended four months later for stealing a bank card from the son of a couple with whom he was lodging. He used the card to withdraw £50 in order to fund his gambling addiction. Hartson was suspended and sent home to Swansea but was reinstated by Luton shortly afterwards and allowed to resume his apprenticeship.
Luton Town and Arsenal
Hartson turned professional in 1992 and made his first team debut as a substitute in a 1–0 League CupFootball 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...
defeat to Cambridge United
Cambridge United F.C.
Cambridge United Football Club is a professional football club from Cambridge, England. They are currently playing the 2011-2012 season in the Conference National, the fifth tier of the English league system, where they have competed since 2005 following their relegation from the Football League...
on 24 August 1993. In January 1995 he joined Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
for £2.5 million, a British record fee for a teenage player at the time. He was one of George Graham
George Graham (footballer)
George Graham is a Scottish former football player and manager. He is best remembered for his success at Arsenal, as a player in the 1970s and then as manager from 1986 until 1995.-Early life:...
's last signings before his sacking in February 1995, along with Chris Kiwomya
Chris Kiwomya
Christopher Mark Kiwomya is a former professional footballer of Ugandan descent, the brother of fellow player Andy Kiwomya....
. He made his Arsenal debut on 14 January 1995 and was a regular in his first season, the highlight of which was scoring Arsenal's 75th minute equaliser in the 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1995 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match on 10 May 1995 contested between cup holders Arsenal of England and Real Zaragoza of Spain. The final was held at Parc des Princes in Paris. It was the final match of the 1994–95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the 35th UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final...
against Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza
Real Zaragoza, S.A.D. is a Spanish association football team from Zaragoza in Spain. Founded on 18 March 1932, Real Zaragoza have spent the majority of their 78 year history in the Spanish top-flight. Real Zaragoza are Spain's 9th highest ranked team in overall league points...
; however a last-minute goal from 40 yards by Nayim
Nayim
Mohammed Ali Amar , commonly known as Nayim, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a central midfielder....
over David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
meant Arsenal lost the game 2–1. He was strike-partner to Ian Wright, being favoured ahead of Kevin Campbell
Kevin Campbell (footballer)
Kevin Joseph Campbell is an English former football player who played as a striker.-Playing career:Campbell began his career as a trainee with Arsenal, joining the club on schoolboy forms in 1985...
by filling the gap left by the injured Alan Smith, who retired at the end of the season.
With the signing of Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Nicolaas Bergkamp , is a former Dutch professional footballer who is currently the assistant manager to Frank de Boer at Ajax. At club level he played for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal, and also represented the Netherlands at international level...
, who was preferred up front to partner Ian Wright
Ian Wright
Ian Edward Wright, MBE is a retired English footballer turned television and radio personality.Wright enjoyed success with London clubs Crystal Palace and Arsenal, spending six years with the former and seven years with the latter. With Arsenal he has lifted the Premier League title and both major...
, Hartson featured less under Graham's successors Bruce Rioch
Bruce Rioch
Bruce David Rioch is an English-born football manager and former player. He was manager of Aalborg BK in the Danish Superliga, until his sacking on 23 October 2008....
and Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger
Arsène Wenger, OBE is a French association football manager and former player, who has managed English Premier League side Arsenal since 1996...
. With Wenger angling for the signing of Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka
Abdul-Salam Bilal on 14 March 1979) is a French international footballer, who plays as a striker for English Premier League club Chelsea. Anelka was also a regular starter for the French national team...
in early 1997, he made it clear Hartson was surplus to requirements and in February 1997 he was sold to West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
for £3.2 million. At the time, he was the most expensive player to be signed by West Ham. It had initially been reported that the deal was worth £5million.
In total he had played 70 times (15 as substitute) for Arsenal, scoring 17 goals.
West Ham United
For West Ham, Hartson scored 33 goals in 73 league and cup appearances for the east London club. He became the second highest scoring player (behind Andrew Cole) in the Premier League in his first full season.In a training ground incident in 1998, Hartson kicked West Ham team-mate Eyal Berkovic
Eyal Berkovic
Eyal Berkovic is an Israeli former footballer. He played as a midfielder.He is known in Israel by the nickname Ha-Kosem ....
in the face, after the Israeli midfielder had punched Hartson in the leg as he attempted to help Berkovic to his feet. The incident was captured on camera. Hartson was fined for the incident. Hartson has admitted in his biography that this was an error of judgement.
In the 1998 close season, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
chairman Martin Edwards
Martin Edwards
Charles Martin Edwards was the chairman of Manchester United from 1980 until 2002. He now holds the position of honorary life president at the club.- Education :...
and assistant manager Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd
Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who is currently Assistant Manager to Roberto Mancini at Manchester City....
expressed their desire for Hartson to sign for Manchester United to manager Alex Ferguson
Alex Ferguson
Sir Alexander Chapman "Alex" Ferguson, CBE is a Scottish association football manager and former player, currently managing Manchester United, where he has been in charge since 1986...
. However, Ferguson decided against making a bid for Hartson.
Wimbledon and Coventry City
He joined WimbledonWimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
in January 1999, becoming the club's most expensive signing ever at £7.5m. His time with the Dons was marred by injury, though he still managed a respectable goal tally, first in the Premier League, then the First Division following the club's relegation in 2000. Moves to Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Spurs
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Charlton
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
fell through due to doubts over the player's fitness, and he instead joined Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on a pay-for-play deal in February 2001.
Celtic
In August 2001 he joined CelticCeltic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in a £6m transfer. He played for the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club for five seasons. In March 2004, he dropped out for the remainder of the football season for surgery to his back; however, he recovered in time for Wales' unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
.
In April 2005 he shared the Scottish PFA Players' Player of the Year award with Fernando Ricksen
Fernando Ricksen
Fernando Ricksen is a Dutch football defender/midfielder. He played on the right side of defence, midfield or as a central holding player...
and a short time later in May he was voted the Scottish Football Writers' Association Player of the Year
Scottish Football Writers' Association
The Scottish Football Writers' Association is an association of Scottish football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1965...
.
On 6 November 2005 Hartson scored his 100th goal for Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
against Falkirk
Falkirk F.C.
Falkirk Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Falkirk. It is one of two professional football teams from the town, the other being East Stirlingshire...
. He scored the only goal against Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
, on 5 April 2006, (his 31st birthday) to clinch the title for Celtic.
Hartson was sent off on a number of occasions, one being a notable dismissal towards the end of an Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
derby, when he was sent-off for violent conduct along with Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
team-mate Johan Mjallby
Johan Mjällby
Johan Mjällby is a Swedish former footballer. He made his debut for the national team in 1997, and played 49 matches and scored 4 goals as a defender or midfielder. Mjällby was the team captain during the 2002 World Cup. He also took part in Euro 2000 and Euro 2004...
and Rangers player Fernando Ricksen
Fernando Ricksen
Fernando Ricksen is a Dutch football defender/midfielder. He played on the right side of defence, midfield or as a central holding player...
. Hartson's dismissal was overturned on appeal.
In December 2002, Celtic defeated Celta Vigo in the first leg of a third round UEFA Cup tie 1-0. Celtic were beaten 2-1 in Vigo, thus progressing on the "away goals" rule to the next round due to John Hartson's turn and strike. This was the first time that Celtic had remained in European competition after Christmas since the 1970s. In March 2003, Celtic faced Liverpool in the UEFA Cup at the quarter final stage, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw in Glasgow. In the return leg at Anfield, John Hartson fired the club's goal of the season with a strike past Jerzy Dudek into the top corner from over 25 yards out. Celtic won this match 2-0, progressing to the semi-final, where they knocked out Boavista of Portugal to progress to the final. Unfortunately for John Hartson, after playing a major role in getting Celtic all the way through the tournament, most notably with his strikes in Liverpool and Vigo, as well as many assists, he was ruled out of the final through injury. Celtic were defeated 3-2 in the final after extra time by Jose Mourinho's FC Porto
West Bromwich Albion
On 26 June 2006, Hartson signed a two-year contract with EnglishEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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...
side West Bromwich Albion in a £500,000 move. Hartson scored twice on his Albion debut in a 2–0 Hawthorns win against Hull City on 5 August 2006.
On 31 August 2007, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
said that Hartson had signed for 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 Nottingham Forest on a loan move. On 5 September 2007, the Western Mail reported that Hartson had rejected a firm approach from Forest and was on the verge of signing for his hometown club Swansea City on loan. However the club quickly issued a statement on its website denying the striker was set to sign.
In October 2007 Hartson joined 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...
on a month's loan. Although Norwich had the option to extend the loan until 31 December, newly appointed manager Glenn Roeder
Glenn Roeder
Glenn Victor Roeder is an English football manager and former player, most recently in charge at Norwich City. As a player, Roeder represented England B on 7 occasions...
decided to send Hartson back to the Midlands after the initial month period. He then rejected an offer to join Chester City
Chester City F.C.
Chester City Football Club was an English football team from Chester. The club was founded as Chester F.C., and joined the Football League in 1931, spending most of their time in the lower divisions. They changed their name to Chester City in 1983. Chester won their first league title in 2004, the...
on loan. In January 2008 Hartson was released by West Bromwich Albion, six months before the end of his contract.
On 7 February 2008 Hartson announced his retirement from professional football citing his long term struggles with weight and fitness as major reasons for finishing his footballing career.
International career
Hartson won 51 first team caps for WalesWales 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...
, scoring 14 goals. He is currently the 9th top scorer of all time for the international team. He also holds a record for the 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...
team by being one of only four people to have scored a hat-trick at that level alongside Craig Davies, Lee Jones and Ched Evans
Ched Evans
Chedwyn Michael "Ched" Evans is a Wales international footballer currently playing as a striker for Sheffield United.Born in St Asaph, Denbighshire Evans was an inexperienced youth striker with Manchester City, when he arrived at Norwich City on loan in 2007...
.
Hartson retired from international football in February 2006 in order to concentrate on his career with Celtic but in August that year he stated that he would come out of retirement to play if 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...
needed him.
Off the field
Just a few weeks after his retirement from playing, East StirlingshireEast Stirlingshire F.C.
East Stirlingshire Football Club is a Scottish football club originating in Falkirk. Founded in 1880, originally as Bainsford Britannia, the club changed to their current name a year later in 1881...
in the Scottish Football League Third Division
Scottish Football League Third Division
The Scottish Football League Third Division is the lowest division of the Scottish Football League and the fourth overall in the Scottish football league system....
offered Hartson the chance to succeed Gordon Wylde
Gordon Wylde
Gordon Wylde , is a former association football player and manager. He is currently assistant head coach at Clyde. He played for East Stirlingshire, Kilmarnock, Queen of the South and Clyde, and managed East Stirlingshire from 2006 to 2008.-Playing career:Wylde began his senior career at the Shire,...
as manager, but Hartson rejected the opportunity, saying that, "the timing is just not right for me at the moment." Hartson joined Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports
Setanta Sports is an international sports broadcaster based in Dublin, Ireland. Setanta Sports was formed in 1990 to facilitate the broadcasting of Irish sporting events...
as a pundit for the 2008–09 season, as part of the broadcaster's coverage of the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
. A Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speaker, Hartson appears regularly as a studio guest on S4C
S4C
S4C , currently branded as S4/C, is a Welsh television channel broadcast from the capital, Cardiff. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience, it is the fifth oldest British television channel .The channel - initially broadcast on...
's Sgorio
Sgorio
Sgorio is a Welsh football television programme broadcast in Wales on S4C and produced by Rondo Media. It is currently presented by Nic Parry...
. He is also a regular pundit on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's coverage of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The 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...
. In 2011 Hartson was appointed part-time coach with Newport County.
Personal life
In July 2009 Hartson received chemotherapyChemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
after being diagnosed with testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
which had spread
Metastasis
Metastasis, or metastatic disease , is the spread of a disease from one organ or part to another non-adjacent organ or part. It was previously thought that only malignant tumor cells and infections have the capacity to metastasize; however, this is being reconsidered due to new research...
to his brain. It was later reported the cancer had spread to his lungs and that he remained in a "critical condition" following emergency surgery. The treatment was successful and by December of that year it was reported that the cancer had been virtually eradicated from Hartson's body although he would have more surgery and treatment to come.
Hartson has a son, James, who plays for Portsmouth Academy
Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy
Portsmouth F.C. Reserves and Academy consist of the reserve and academy footballers of Portsmouth F.C..- The Reserves :The Portsmouth Reserves consist of mainly young players under the age of 21 who are no longer eligible for the academy but are still trying to make the step up to the senior team...
.
Career statistics
|-|1992–93
The Football League 1992-93
The 1992–1993 season was the 93rd completed season of the The Football League.-Overview:This season saw the birth of the FA Premier League. This meant a break-up of the 104-year-old Football League that had operated until then with four divisions....
||rowspan="3"|Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
||rowspan="3"|First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||0||0||||||||||||||||
|-
|1993–94
The Football League 1993-94
The 1993–1994 season was the 94th completed season of the The Football League. From 1993 to 1996 the league was sponsores by Endsleigh.-Football League Division One:...
||34||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95
The Football League 1994-95
The 1994–1995 season was the 95th completed season of the The Football League. It was the third season of The Football League since the formation of the Premier League...
||20||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1994–95
FA Premier League 1994-95
-Promoted teams:Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest were promoted from the Football League First Division as winners and runners-up respectively. Leicester City won the 1993-94 playoff.-Controversial incidents:...
||rowspan="3"|Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||15||7||||||||||||||||
|-
|1995–96
FA Premier League 1995-96
-Promoted teams:Due to the decision to reduce the number of clubs in the Premier League from 22 to 20, only two clubs were promoted this season: Middlesbrough as Football League First Division champions, and Bolton Wanderers who won the 1994-95 playoff.-Transfers:...
||19||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
||19||3||||||||||||||||
|-
|1996–97
FA Premier League 1996-97
The 1996–97 FA Premier League season was the fifth season of the competition, since its formation in 1992. The majority of the season was contested by the reigning champions, Manchester United, along with Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool...
||rowspan="3"|West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
||rowspan="3"|Premier League||11||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|1997–98
FA Premier League 1997-98
The FA Premier League 1997-98 season saw Arsenal lift their first league title since 1991, and also become only the second team to win the 'double' of the FA Cup and league title twice...
||32||15||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||17||4||||||||||||||||
|-
|1998–99
FA Premier League 1998-99
The 1998–99 FA Premier League season was the seventh season of the Premier League, the top division of English football, since its establishment in 1992. The season will always be remembered as the one in which Manchester United won a unique treble of the league title, the FA Cup and the European Cup...
||rowspan="3"|Wimbledon
Wimbledon F.C.
Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
||rowspan="2"|Premier League||14||2||||||||||||||||
|-
|1999–00
FA Premier League 1999-00
The FA Premier League 1999–2000 season was the eighth season of the FA Premier League, and Manchester United secured their sixth Premiership title. Like the previous season, they lost only three league games all season...
||16||10||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01
The Football League 2000-01
-Overview:The 2000–2001 season was the 101st completed season of the The Football League.- First Division playoffs :-First Division :...
||First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
||19||8||||||||||||||||
|-
|2000–01
FA Premier League 2000-01
The FA Premier League 2000-01 season was the third season running which ended with Manchester United as champions and Arsenal as runners-up. Sir Alex Ferguson became the first manager to win three successive English league titles, although three teams had achieved that feat in the past - but with...
||Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
||Premier League||12||6||||||||||||||||
|-
|2001–02
Scottish Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic.As league champions, Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League. Runners-up Rangers and third-placed Livingston qualified for the UEFA Cup, as did fourth-placed Aberdeen, who took the final UEFA Cup place due to Rangers beating Celtic...
||rowspan="5"|Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
||rowspan="5"|Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||31||19||||||||||||||||
|-
|2002–03
Scottish Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 Scottish Premier League was won by Rangers.As league champions, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Celtic also qualifying...
||27||18||||||||||||||||
|-
|2003–04
Scottish Premier League 2003-04
The 2003–04 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic.As league champions, Celtic qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Rangers also qualifying...
||15||9||||||||||||||||
|-
|2004–05
Scottish Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 Scottish Premier League was won by Rangers.As league champions, Rangers qualified for the UEFA Champions League, with runners-up Celtic also qualifying...
||38||25||||||||||||||||
|-
|2005–06
Scottish Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 Scottish Premier League was won by Celtic, with a 17-point margin over their nearest challengers Hearts in the first season under the management of Gordon Strachan...
||35||18||||||||||||||||
|-
|2006–07
The Football League 2006-07
The 2006–2007 season was the 107th completed season of the Football League.-Overview:The Football League was contested through three Divisions in England and Wales. The divisions were the Football League Championship, Football League One and Football League Two...
||West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
||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...
||21||5||||||||||||||||
|-
|2007–08
The Football League 2007-08
The Football League is contested through three divisions in England and Wales. The divisions are the League Championship, League One and League Two. The winner and the runner up of the League Championship will be automatically promoted to the Premier League and they will be joined by the winner of...
||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...
||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...
||4||0||||||||||||||||
253||80||18||7||22||9||11||1||304||97
146||88||12||8||11||7||32||6||201||109
399||168||30||15||33||16||43||7||505||206
|-
|1995||4||0
|-
|1996||3||0
|-
|1997||4||1
|-
|1998||3||1
|-
|1999||4||0
|-
|2000||2||0
|-
|2001||6||4
|-
|2002||7||2
|-
|2003||7||3
|-
|2004||5||3
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
!Total||51||14
|}