Ricketts: Michael Barrington (Michael)

2004-2006 (Player Details)

Centre Forward

Born: Birmingham: 04-12-1978

Debut: Derby County (h): 07-08-2004

6’2” 11st 12lb (2000)

Ricketts began his career at Walsall, signing professional forms on 13th September 1996. He was eased into the Walsall first team, after scoring on debut as a substitute, and by the end of the 1998-99 season, he had had only ten starts and thirty-four substitute appearances in the League but had only added two more goals to his first game tally. Things changed in the 1999-2000 season, when despite the Saddlers suffering relegation, Ricketts shone with eleven goals in twenty-one starts and eleven from the bench in the League. On 17th July 2000, the then First Division Bolton Wanderers signed him for £500,000. He started his Bolton career in impressive style, scoring twenty-four times as Bolton won promotion to the EPL via the playoffs. His finest moments at Bolton included sealing victory against Preston North End in the Division one Play off final in 2001, and scoring the winning goal at Old Trafford in a 2-1 win for the Trotters over Manchester United in the 2001/2002 EPL season. Ricketts continued scoring in his first season in the EPL, netting fifteen goals by February, and this form led to his call-up for England’s friendly against Holland in that month. He was not a success or failure but was substituted at half-time and failed to score. Ricketts then fell out with his manager Sam Allardyce and subsequently did not feature in the team very often. On 31st January 2003, Middlesbrough spent £3 million to sign him after he had scored thirty-seven goals in sixty-three starts and thirty-five more from the bench in League games for Bolton. While at Middlesbrough he failed to recapture his goal-scoring form, netting just three times, two of which were from the spot, in twelve starts and twenty substitute appearances in League matches, however, they did win the League Cup in the 2003-04, coincidentally against Bolton. He was on the decline and on 8th July 2004 he signed for the strife-driven and relegated Leeds United on a free transfer. Ricketts failed to impress, failing to score in twenty-one League appearances, twelve of which were as substitute, although he did manage a solitary goal in the League Cup against Oldham Athletic. He was then loaned out to Stoke City in February, but also failed to impress there, with no League goals in ten substitute appearances and just one start, and returned to Leeds. He made three more substitute League appearances and one start, without scoring but did manage another goal in the League Cup. On 31st August 2005 he was then loaned out to Cardiff City, where he scored five goals in seventeen League starts, before returning to Leeds. On 30th January 2006 he signed for CCCL side Burnley in a loan deal that was to keep him at Turf Moor until the end of the season. Despite scoring twice in his first three matches, he again failed to impress and did not score in what became twelve starts and one substitute League appearances, and returned to Leeds after the season had finished. On 30th June 2006, Ricketts signed a two-year deal with CCCL side Southend United with an option to extend for another year on a free transfer. He was thought to have been the second-worst Leeds player ever, but like the player who pipped him for the award, Michael Duberry, he had been paid an exhorbitant wage for the very minimum effort. However after just two substitute appearances and only a couple of months into the new season, Southend released Ricketts on the basis that he was overweight, a theme which had been the source of complaint by Managers since leaving the Reebok. After leaving Southend, Ricketts joined Preston North End on 12th January 2007, scoring once in seven League starts and seven more as a substitute. However, Ricketts' fitness and his inability to break into the first team on a regular basis led to him being released by Preston on 8th May 2007, again leaving him without a club until being picked up by Oldham Athletic on a free-transfer two days later, signing a contract until 2010. He had scored twice in eight League starts and one substitute appearances before, on 2nd November 2007, he returned to his first club Walsall on a three-month loan deal from Oldham. The reasons for this shock loan were shrouded in mystery, but one thought was that Ricketts had a “Training ground disagreement” with another Oldham player. He made his debut for Walsall in a League match against Cheltenham Town one day after signing. On 31st January 2008 Ricketts had his contract cancelled by Oldham Athletic. He was expected to rejoin Walsall when he recovered from injury, as he had netted three goals in twelve League appearances and a further two in four games in the FA Cup. It was announced on 12th March 2008 that he was on trial at Southampton. After reportedly being training with Darlington, on 1st April 2008, Ricketts was on trial at the San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS. He also had an earlier trial in MLS with the Columbus Crew, however, both clubs rejected the striker. He was still not thirty. On 24th July 2008, Ricketts once again rejoined Walsall and, in his third spell there, scored nine League goals in twenty-eight appearances, of which three were from the bench. He also scored in his only F.A. Cup start and in his only League Cup start and scored once in his two starts in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. However, at the end of the season he was released when his contract was not renewed. Brighton handed Ricketts a trial on 13th July 2009 in a friendly against Havant & Waterlooville but did not take it further. On 14 August 2009, he was handed a twelve-month contract with Tranmere Rovers. Ricketts, who went straight into the squad for the game with Leeds, said: "I'm pleased to have joined Tranmere. "The lure of playing for John Barnes, who was an idol of mine, and the style of football he wants to play were big factors in me coming here." He made his debut, as a substitute, in the forty-sixth minute at Elland Road on 22nd August 2009 and then came on as a sixty-fourth minute substitute against another of his former clubs, Bolton Wanderers on 25th August 2009. He made his run-on debut at home to Walsall on 12th September 2009 and scored his first goal a week later at Exeter City. He had scored twice in twelve League games, of which five were from the bench, but had failed to score in four F.A Cup games, of which three were as a substitute, and one substitute appearance in the League Cup before on 21st January 2010 his contract was cancelled by mutual agreement.