Robert Earnshaw (born 6 April 1981) is a Welsh former international
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a forward. He is the only player to have scored a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
in the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
, all three divisions of the
English Football League
The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
, and for his country in an international match.
Born in Zambia and raised in South Wales, Earnshaw joined
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
as a
Youth Training Scheme
The Youth Training Scheme (YTS) was the name in the United Kingdom of an on-the-job training course for school leavers aged 16 and 17 and was managed by the Manpower Services Commission. The scheme was first outlined in the 1980 white paper ''A N ...
(YTS) trainee in 1997, and turned professional a year later. After making his debut at the age of sixteen, he spent a brief spell on loan with Greenock Morton before establishing himself in the first team. His prolific goalscoring saw him break several club records as he helped the club win promotion to the First Division in 2003. Scoring over 30 times in the First Division following promotion, he joined
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
club
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
for £3.5 million in August 2004.
He played for several English clubs before later in his career playing in Israel, Canada, and the United States. After leaving Cardiff City in 2004, Earnshaw's transfer fees totalled £12,650,000. He made his international debut for
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
in 2002 and scored 16 goals in 59 games for the national side, making him its eighth-highest all-time goalscorer.
Early life
One of five children, Earnshaw was born on the outskirts of the Zambian mining town of
Mufulira
Mufulira is a town in the Copperbelt Province of Zambia. Mufulira means "Place of Abundance and Peace". The town developed around the Mufulira Copper Mine in the 1930s. The town also serves as the administrative capital of Mufulira District.
G ...
on 6 April 1981 to Rita and English-born father David Earnshaw. His mother was a professional footballer in Zambia and later became a boxer and his father was a manager of a gold mine. His uncle Fidelis was also a professional footballer who played for Nkana and two of his cousins, Kalusha and Joel Bwalya, represented
Zambia
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
at international level. Kalusha later went on to become president of the
Football Association of Zambia
The Football Association of Zambia is the governing body of association football in Zambia founded in 1929 and based at the "Football House" on Alick Nkhata Road in Lusaka, the country's capital.
Affiliated to Confederation of African Football, ...
.
When Earnshaw was five, his family moved to
Malawi
Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
where his father, took charge of a coal mine and his youngest son began attending St. Andrews School in
Lilongwe
Lilongwe (, ,) is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. In 2020, that figure was 1,122,000. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, i ...
. The school was a six-hour drive from the family home and Earnshaw was forced to fly to the school each Monday with his brother David and three sisters, Sharon, Joanne and Diane, and live there through the week before flying home each Friday. He went on to attend Viphya School where he was taught the
Chewa language
Chewa ( ; also known as Nyanja ) is a Bantu languages, Bantu language spoken in Malawi and a recognised minority in Zambia and Mozambique. The noun class prefix ''chi-'' is used for languages, so the language is often called or Chinyanja. In Ma ...
, already being able to speak Bemba and English.
The family's stay was to be a short one again; in 1990, Earnshaw's father contracted
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...
and died in May of that year. Following the death of her husband, Rita decided to move the family to
Bedwas
Bedwas is a town situated two miles north-east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly (county borough), Caerphilly county borough, within the Historic counties of Wales, historic boundaries of Monmouthshire (historic), Monmouthshi ...
, a small Welsh town near
Caerphilly
Caerphilly (, ; , ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley and separated from the Cardiff suburbs of Lisvane and Rhiwbina by Caerphilly Mountain.
It is north of Cardiff an ...
where her sister lived, in 1991. Earnshaw later commented: "It was the first time I had been away from Zambia. ..It was much colder as well, just every little thing was different, everyone spoke English over here and although I could speak a little bit I had to learn. But when you're a kid you just get on with it." While living in Bedwas he became friends with David Pipe who lived nearby.
It was in Wales that he began playing football, kicking a ball around with friends between and after classes at Cardinal Newman RC School,
Pontypridd
Pontypridd ( , ), Colloquialism, colloquially referred to as ''Ponty'', is a town and a Community (Wales), community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, approximately 10 miles north west of Cardiff city centre.
Geography
Pontypridd comprises the ...
, the school he moved on to after a spell at St. Helen's Primary. He grew up supporting
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
and also excelled at gymnastics and basketball. Cardinal Newman was a
rugby union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
-playing school so Earnshaw's first organised football match came at the age of 11 with local youth side Llanbradach. After a year, he joined GE Wales where he gained reputation as a prolific goalscorer, netting 80 times in a single season.
Club career
Cardiff City
Earnshaw's youth team, GE Wales, played their home matches in
Treforest
Treforest () is a village in the south-east of Pontypridd, in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It is situated in the Treforest electoral ward, along with the village of Glyntaff (or Glyn-Taf). It is part of the Pontypridd Town ...
on a pitch nearby to the youth team base of
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
. In 1997, Earnshaw scored a
hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three.
Origin
The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three Wick ...
during a youth match that was being watched by Gavin Tait, then a youth team coach for Cardiff, who invited Earnshaw and some of his teammates to training and, on 1 August, he signed a one-year YTS contract at
Ninian Park
Ninian Park was a association football, football stadium in the Leckwith, Cardiff, Leckwith area of Cardiff, Wales, that was the home of Cardiff City F.C. for 99 years. Opened in 1910 with a single wooden stand, it underwent numerous renovatio ...
. He had also previously been watched by scouts from Manchester United. He progressed through Cardiff's youth development programme, scoring over 47 goals for the club's youth side during a single season including a hat-trick in a Welsh Youth Cup final victory over
Llanelli
; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community in Carmarthenshire and the Preserved counties of Wales, preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is on the estuary of the River Loughor and is the largest town in the Principal areas of Wales, ...
Wrexham
Wrexham ( ; ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in the North East Wales, north-east of Wales. It lies between the Cambrian Mountains, Welsh mountains and the lower River Dee, Wales, Dee Valley, near the England–Wales border, borde ...
on 27 October 1997 at the age of sixteen. He made his professional debut on 6 September 1997 as a substitute in place of Scott Partridge during a 2–0 defeat to
Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Poplar, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east of ...
in the
Football League Trophy
The English Football League Trophy, officially known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual English football knockout competition open to all clubs in EFL League One and EFL League Two and U-21 teams from the Premier Le ...
. He made his league debut four months later, again as a substitute in place of Wayne O'Sullivan during a 0–0 draw with
Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, commonly referred to as Brighton, is a professional football club based in Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Their home gr ...
on 28 March 1998, and made four further league appearances during the 1997–98 season without scoring.
Four days prior to the start of the following season, Earnshaw signed his first full-time professional contract in August 1998 and was handed a start in the first game of the season in an away match against
Hartlepool United
Hartlepool United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Hartlepool, County Durham, England. The team competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English football league system.
They were founded in 190 ...
. With Cardiff losing 1–0, Earnshaw scored a
bicycle kick
In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick or scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before ...
from ten yards out following a cross by
John Williams
John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932)Nylund, Rob (November 15, 2022)Classic Connection review, ''WBOI'' ("For the second time this year, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic honored American composer, conductor, and arranger John Williams, who w ...
to earn his side a point. However, after appearing in three further matches during the opening month of the season, he spent time away from Cardiff to attend trials with
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
under
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
and
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
under
Kevin Keegan
Joseph Kevin Keegan (born 14 February 1951) is an English former footballer and manager. Nicknamed "King Kev" or "Mighty Mouse", Keegan was recognised for his dribbling ability, as well as his finishing and presence in the air, and is regard ...
. He returned to Cardiff but struggled to break into the side under manager
Frank Burrows
Frank Burrows (30 January 1944 – 24 November 2021) was a Scottish football player and manager who played as a central defender.
Life and career
Frank Burrows began his football career at Scottish club Raith Rovers. In 1965, he moved south t ...
with Earnshaw later stating that he believed Burrows thought he would not "make the grade." After making a single appearance at the start of the 1999–2000 season, Earnshaw was loaned to Scottish side Greenock Morton in January 2000 by Burrows to gain experience and "toughen up", living above a local pub. Earnshaw later admitted that the experience at Morton helped him, commenting "It made me realise that I needed to work hard at my game so I could show Cardiff City that I could become a good player." During his loan spell, he played three games in the
Scottish Football League First Division
The Scottish Football League First Division was the second tier in the Scottish football league system between 1975 and 2013. It was replaced by the Scottish Championship.
History
The First Division was introduced in 1975–76 in Scottish footb ...
, scoring twice, and one
Scottish Cup
The Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup,Rangers. Originally signing on an initial three-month loan deal, he was recalled by Cardiff manager
Billy Ayre
William Ayre (7 May 1952 – 16 April 2002) was an English association football, footballer who played for three clubs in a sixteen-year professional career, making over three hundred English Football League, League appearances in the process. ...
after just one month when he replaced Burrows in charge and made five appearances in the final three months of the season, scoring once in a 2–1 defeat to
Bournemouth
Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...
.
The following season proved to be a breakout year for Earnshaw as he established himself in the first team, scoring 25 goals in all competitions including hat-tricks in a league match against
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
and a third round
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
tie against
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...
. His form saw him receive Cardiff's Young Player of the Year award and saw him named in the Football League Third Division PFA Team of the Year. In the 2002–03 season, Earnshaw scored on the opening day of the season in a 2–1 victory over
Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is a professional association football club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2025–26 EFL League Two, 2025–26 season, the team competes in EFL League Two, the fourth level of the Eng ...
but was used largely as a substitute in the opening month after manager
Lennie Lawrence
Robin Michael Lawrence, commonly known as Lennie Lawrence, (born 12 December 1947) is an English football manager. He is assistant manager and non-executive director at National League side Hartlepool United.
Lawrence was a semi-professional a ...
opted to play Andy Campbell after Earnshaw failed to score in pre-season. However, on 11 September 2002 he was handed a start against Boston United in the League Cup and scored a hat-trick. He went on to enjoy a prolific season, scoring two further hat-tricks in matches against
Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional association football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England. The team currently compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English f ...
and
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ...
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...
. He finished the season with 35 goals in all competitions, despite scoring only once in his last eleven matches, breaking a club record for most goals scored in a single season which was previously held by Hughie Ferguson's tally of 32 during the 1926–27 season. His 31 goals in league matches also broke a 56-year-old club record previously held by Stan Richards.
At the end of the season, Earnshaw was named Young Welsh Footballer of the Year, and was named in the PFA Division Two Team of the Year. Following the club's promotion, Earnshaw continued his form and scored over 30 goals during his first season in the First Division, including a four-goal haul during a 5–0 victory over Gillingham and a hat-trick against
Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
in the League Cup.
His continued goalscoring form attracted attention from numerous clubs, including Scottish side
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
and Premier League clubs
Fulham
Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...
,
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Their home ground is ...
and
Aston Villa
Aston Villa Football Club (commonly referred to as simply Villa) is a professional football club based in Aston, Birmingham, England. The club, founded in 1874, compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The team have p ...
. Cardiff chairman
Sam Hammam
Samir Georges Nassib Hammam (; born 17 July 1947) is a Lebanese businessman, well known for his high-profile involvement in British football clubs, and who most recently relinquished the life presidency of Cardiff City in March 2022 following a ...
had strongly resisted any potential approaches for Earnshaw and at one point claimed that "They would hang me in the city centre" if he was sold.
West Bromwich Albion
However, at the start of the following season, Earnshaw was transferred from Cardiff to
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
for £3 million, a fee that could have reached a maximum of £3.62 million with performance-related add-ons. His agent Mel Eves was fined 30,000
Swiss franc
The Swiss franc, or simply the franc, is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It is also legal tender in the Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia which is surrounded by Swiss territory. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) iss ...
s (£12,250) by
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (), more commonly known by its acronym FIFA ( ), is the international self-regulatory governing body of association football, beach soccer, and futsal. It was founded on 21 May 1904 to o ...
in July 2007 over his role in the transfer. Eves was found guilty of acting for both his client (Earnshaw) and the buying club (Albion) in the deal.
Earnshaw made his Albion début in a 3–0 defeat at
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
on 11 September 2004, coming on as a second-half substitute. He scored his first goals for Albion in his seventh appearance, netting twice in a 2–2 draw at
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
on 6 November 2004 and scores in the club's following two matches against
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ), colloquially known as Boro, is a port town in the Borough of Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England. Lying to the south of the River Tees, Middlesbrough forms part of the Teesside Built up area, built-up area and the Tees Va ...
and
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. His first and only Premier League hat-trick came against
Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London, England. The team compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Their home ground is ...
on 19 March 2005 after coming on as a substitute with 30 minutes remaining, scoring the first Premier League hat-trick scored by a West Bromwich Albion player. The hat-trick also meant the Earnshaw became the only player to have scored hat-tricks in all four professional divisions in England, the FA Cup, League Cup and in an international fixture. Although goals such as these helped the club retain their Premiership status, manager
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
preferred to use him from the bench as an impact player rather than as a starter. Nevertheless, Earnshaw finished as Albion's top goalscorer for that season with 14 goals, earning him the Ronnie Allen trophy.
He remained in the squad for 2005–06, although West Brom signed several additional forwards including
Diomansy Kamara
Diomansy Mehdi Moustapha Kamara (born 8 November 1980) is a former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Born in Paris, France, he played internationally for Senegal national footba ...
and
Nathan Ellington
Nathan Levi Fontaine Ellington (born 2 July 1981) is an English retired professional footballer who played as a striker.
Ellington started his playing career with non-League side Tooting & Mitcham United. Having played once for the club, he s ...
as competition for places became more significant. In December 2005, Earnshaw submitted two transfer requests, but both were rejected. However, in January 2006 manager
Bryan Robson
Bryan Robson (born 11 January 1957) is an English association football, football manager and former player. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Bromwich Albion in 1972, where he amassed over 200 appearances and was club ca ...
said that Earnshaw would be allowed to leave, assuming there was a fair transfer fee on offer. Following his departure, Earnshaw criticised Robson over his treatment at the club and the lack of first team opportunities given to him. Robson rejected Earnshaw's claims and commented "the percentages when I used Earnshaw compared to the points we collected just don't stack up."
Norwich City
On transfer deadline day, 31 January 2006, Earnshaw signed a three-and-a-half-year contract for
Norwich City
Norwich City Football Club is a professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk, England. The club competes in the Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was founded in 1902. Since 1935, Norwich have played their h ...
for a fee of £2.75 million (rising to £3.5 million). Signed as a replacement for Dean Ashton, After making his debut in a 2–1 defeat to Ipswich Town on 5 February 2006, he opened his Norwich goal scoring account with a brace, late on in Norwich's 3–0 home win against Brighton on 14 February 2006. Earnshaw went on to score six further goals in the remaining matches of the 2005–06 season. The following season, he enjoyed a prolific start to the campaign, including braces against
Barnsley
Barnsley () is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 71,422 in 2021, while the wider boroug ...
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club ( ), commonly referred to as Wolves, is a professional association football, football club based in Wolverhampton, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league s ...
, and, by January 2007, Earnshaw was the top-goalscorer in the division with 17 goals. He suffered a severe groin injury in training soon after, that was expected to rule him out of action for the rest of the season. However, he returned to first team action in April 2007 to score his 18th and 19th goals of the season against
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
and
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
Formed in 1867 as an off ...
.
Derby County
His goalscoring exploits for Norwich led newly promoted Premier League side
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
to break their transfer record, previously held by the £3 million transfer of Seth Johnson from
Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Crewe, Cheshire, England. Its first team competes in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system. Nicknamed 'The Railwaymen' ...
, by signing Earnshaw from Norwich City for a fee of £3.5 million on 29 June 2007. He made his debut for the Rams in a 2–2 draw against
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...
on 11 August 2007. Earnshaw struggled to make an impact at Derby and was in and out of the side at the start of the season before being dropped. His first goal for the club came in a 4–1
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
defeat to
Preston North End
Preston North End Football Club, commonly referred to as Preston, North End or PNE, is a professional association football club in Preston, Lancashire, England. They currently play in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English footbal ...
on 26 January 2008, by which time the man who signed him, Billy Davies, had left the club and been replaced by Paul Jewell. It wasn't until 28 April 2008 that he scored his first Premier League goal for the club, in the 6–2 home defeat to
Arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. In a torrid season, Earnshaw made just seven starts in his debut season at Derby, with a further 17 appearances as sub. He was left out of the squad for the final game of the season against
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
when it was revealed that Jewell had accepted a bid from two unspecified clubs,
later revealed to be
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
and Sheffield United, bringing to an end what Earnshaw later stated was one of his worst seasons in football.
Nottingham Forest
In May 2008, less than a year after signing for Derby, Earnshaw joined
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
for £2.65 million, signing a three-year deal. He made his competitive debut in a 0–0 draw with
Reading
Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch.
For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
on 10 August 2008, scoring his first competitive goals for Forest in their League Cup first-round tie at home to
Morecambe
Morecambe ( ) is a seaside town and civil parish in the City of Lancaster district of Lancashire, England, on Morecambe Bay, part of the Irish Sea. In 2011 the parish had a population of 34,768.
Name
The first use of the name was by John Whit ...
, getting two on 13 August 2008. Earnshaw's first League goal for Forest came in their 3–2 victory over
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
in the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
, at the
City Ground
The City Ground is a association football, football stadium in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455.
...
on 23 August 2008. He scored his first hat trick for Nottingham Forest on 5 December 2009 in a 5–1 win over local rivals
Leicester City
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area, and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest city in the East Midlands with a popula ...
.
The 2010–11 season saw Earnshaw struggle to find his feet early on despite some good performances, scoring only one in thirteen matches. His scoring picked up though, and he scored six goals in the last twelve games. This included two goals in the 5–2 win against
Derby County
Derby County Football Club () is a professional association football club in Derby, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system.
One of the 12 founder members of the English Football ...
at the
City Ground
The City Ground is a association football, football stadium in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest F.C., Nottingham Forest since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455.
...
, as well as the only goal in Forest's first ever victory at Pride Park against Derby. Earnshaw scored Forest's only goal in the 3–1 loss to
Swansea City
Swansea City Association Football Club ( ; ) is a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. It competes in the EFL Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Swansea have played their home matches at ...
in the away leg of their play off semi final, also hitting the post in the dying minutes of the game, which would have levelled the scoreline at 2–2. In total he scored 43 goals in 111 appearances for Forest, making him one of their most successful strikers in recent years.
Return to Cardiff City
On 6 July 2011, Earnshaw rejoined boyhood club
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
on a free transfer, following unsuccessful talks with
Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English football.
Founde ...
regarding contract renewal. Earnshaw would become new
Cardiff City
Cardiff City Football Club () is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It currently competes in , the third tier of the English football league system in the 2025–26 season following relegation. Founded in 1899 a ...
manager
Malky Mackay
Malcolm George Mackay (born 19 February 1972) is a Scottish professional association football, football coach and former player, who is the sporting director at Scottish Premiership club Hibernian F.C., Hibernian.
Mackay, who played as a Defe ...
's fourth free transfer signing since joining the Bluebirds from
Watford
Watford () is a town and non-metropolitan district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough status in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of Central London, on the banks of the River Colne, Hertfordshire, River Colne.
Initially a smal ...
.
Earnshaw made his second Cardiff debut in a 1–0 win over
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
on 7 August. Earnshaws' first goal since his return to the Bluebirds came the following Sunday in a 3–1 home victory over
Bristol City
Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England. The team compete in the , the second level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1894, the club competed in the Southern League and Western L ...
in the
Severnside derby
The Severnside derby is a local derby in football in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast ...
. He scored his 200th career goal in a 1–1 draw with
Burnley
Burnley () is a town and the administrative centre of the wider Borough of Burnley in Lancashire, England, with a 2021 population of 78,266. It is north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River B ...
on 20 August, scoring the equaliser.
A change of the system at Cardiff and an off form Earnshaw saw him dropped to the bench to make way for Kenny Miller in a single man attack. Earnshaw made his first start since October in a 4–2 defeat to former club
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
on 7 January 2012, in which he scored. A league appearance didn't feature until two more months where he found himself coming off the bench against Hull City, in a 3–0 defeat. He would continue making substitute appearance for the BlueBirds, mostly featuring in the dying minutes of the game, up to the season's end. Cardiff City did make the play-offs, beaten 5–0 on aggregate by
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
, with Earnshaw making a brief appearance.
Maccabi Tel Aviv (loan)
On 20 September, after dropping down the pecking order at Cardiff, Earnshaw moved to Israel with
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Maccabi Tel Aviv () is one of the largest sports clubs in Israel, and a part of the Maccabi association. Many sports clubs and teams in Tel Aviv are in association with Maccabi and compete in a variety of sports, such as football, basketball, j ...
on a season-long loan, and was given the number 19 shirt. After joining Maccabi Tel Aviv, Earnshaw believed joining the club would make him a better player once he returned to Cardiff City and said he had a chance to work with the club's Sports Director Jordi Cruyff.
He made his club debut, coming on as substitute in a second half, in a 4–0 win over Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona on 24 September 2012, and after two appearances, he scored his first goal in a 2–1 win over
Ashdod
Ashdod (, ; , , or ; Philistine language, Philistine: , romanized: *''ʾašdūd'') is the List of Israeli cities, sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District (Israel), Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean ...
2 weeks later. His second goal came three months later when he scored a winner in a 2–1 win over Maccabi Netanya. Earnshaw spent part of the 2012 Israel-Gaza conflict in Tel Aviv, during which he expressed his shock at the city coming under rocket fire, saying: "I looked over at these guys who had many years' service in the army. They knew exactly what was going on. One of them shouted that we had to take cover up by the side of the dressing rooms, so we just ran after them. Then we heard a loud bang of the Iron Dome – a new protection system used to intercept rockets. We then had to protect ourselves from all the shrapnel coming down".
On returning to Cardiff, manager
Malky Mackay
Malcolm George Mackay (born 19 February 1972) is a Scottish professional association football, football coach and former player, who is the sporting director at Scottish Premiership club Hibernian F.C., Hibernian.
Mackay, who played as a Defe ...
deemed Earnshaw surplus to requirements in January 2013, announcing that he would leave the club.
Toronto FC
On 28 February 2013, Earnshaw confirmed he had left Cardiff City to join Canadian
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
club
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...
. He made his debut two days later in a 1–0 away defeat to fellow Canadians
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...
. The following week, on 9 March, Earnshaw scored two goals and first for the club in a 2–1 home victory over
Sporting Kansas City
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The ad ...
, helping to earn new manager
Ryan Nelsen
Ryan William Nelsen (born 18 October 1977) is a former New Zealand professional football player and former head coach of Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.
Nelsen commonly played as a defender, and his professional career began in 1995. He ...
his first coaching victory. Earnshaw was awarded MLS player of the week for his two-goal performance, becoming the first Toronto player to be given the honour since
Danny Koevermans
Danny Koevermans (born 1 November 1978) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a forward.
Club career
Early career
Born in Schiedam, Koevermans began his career with the amateurs of Excelsior'20, then went to Sparta Rotterdam ...
the previous summer.
Blackpool
On 21 March 2014, Earnshaw joined Championship side
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
on a short-term deal until the end of the 2013–14 season. He made a single appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute in place of Elliot Grandin during a 1–0 defeat to
Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers Football Club ( ) is a professional association football, football club based in Horwich, Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in EFL League One, League One, the third level of the Englis ...
on 25 March 2014, before being released at the end of his contract.
Chicago Fire
On 15 August 2014, Earnshaw returned to MLS, joining Chicago Fire on a free transfer. Eight days later he scored his first goal for the Fire, heading in a Grant Ward cross in a 2–2 draw against his former club Toronto; a week later he made it two goals in two games when he headed in the only goal against
Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
at Chicago's
Toyota Park
SeatGeek Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about 12 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of Chicago Stars FC of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II of MLS Next Pro, and th ...
.
Vancouver Whitecaps
In February 2015, Earnshaw went on trial with
Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March 18, ...
, playing in their 3–2 win over Stabæk. On 25 March, the Whitecaps announced his signing.http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2015/03/whitecaps-fc-add-striker-robert-earnshaw Earnshaw made an immediate impact as a late substitute in his Whitecaps debut against the
Portland Timbers
The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...
three days later by scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute on his first touch of the ball.
His second goal was scored as a stoppage time substitute, scoring off of his second touch of the ball in a 3–0 defeat of the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
.
Football playing retirement
Earnshaw announced his retirement on 28 January 2016. He was named head coach of the Vancouver U-14 Pre-Residency team.
International career
Born in Zambia, Earnshaw chose to represent
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
at international level, stating "I thought long and hard about what to do, but Wales was my country. It was where I grew up."
Bobby Gould
Robert Alfred Gould (born 12 June 1946) is an English former footballer and manager.
Early life
Robert Alfred Gould was born in Wyken, Coventry, Warwickshire on Wednesday, 12 June 1946. He is the son of Henry Gould and Helen McKellar Gould ...
, who managed Wales until 1999, stated that he convinced Earnshaw to switch allegiance, helping him overcome concerns over potential playing time. He was capped by
Wales
Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
at youth level won ten caps for the under-21 side, scoring once in a 4–1 defeat to
Belarus
Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...
. His exploits in Cardiff City's promotion campaigns attracted the attention of national coach
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh association football, football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Carlisle United F.C., Carlisle United.
During his playing career he usually operated as a Forward (asso ...
. Earnshaw made his debut in May 2002, scoring the winning goal on his debut for Wales against
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
at the
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium (), known since 2016 as the Principality Stadium () for sponsorship reasons, is the national stadium of Wales. Located in Cardiff, it has a retractable roof and is the home of the Wales national rugby union team; it has ...
; he was also named man of the match.
Earnshaw became a key member of the Wales squad during the Euro 2004 qualifying campaign. He staked his claim for a regular slot in the starting line-up with a hat-trick in the 4–0 friendly win over
Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
in February 2004. At the end of 2003–04, Earnshaw was named in the First Division team of the year.
Because of racism directed to Earnshaw and others, from a Euro 2004 qualifying match,
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
were handed a fine as a result of the abuse towards the Welsh football players.
He represented Wales on 59 occasions over a decade and on 25 May 2011 captained the side against the Scotland at the Nations Cup. On 6 September 2011, in a Euro 2012 qualifier against
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, he came on as a substitute with his team 1–0 down, and missed an 'open goal' from six yards, as England held on to win. Unused since August 2012, in the following March, Earnshaw stated that he was still available for selection by the national side, a message that he reiterated that October.
Coaching career
After working as a youth coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps, on 30 January 2018, Earnshaw was announced as an assistant coach for
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League (USL) is an organizer of various professional and amateur soccer leagues in the United States league system. It currently organizes its Championship, League One, and League Two for men, its Super League and W Leag ...
side
Fresno
Fresno (; ) is a city in the San Joaquin Valley of California, United States. It is the county seat of Fresno County, California, Fresno County and the largest city in the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley region. It covers a ...
ahead of their inaugural season.
On December 20, 2021, Robert Earnshaw joins
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...
side Orange County as assistant coach.
From May 2020, the former football player studied in Wales for the
UEFA Pro License
The UEFA coaching licences are documents testifying credentials of managers/ coaches among members of UEFA. The governing body for football in Europe mandates several licences, each valid for coaching at a certain level. These include the UEFA Pro ...
Caerphilly
Caerphilly (, ; , ) is a town and community (Wales), community in Wales. It is situated at the southern end of the Rhymney Valley and separated from the Cardiff suburbs of Lisvane and Rhiwbina by Caerphilly Mountain.
It is north of Cardiff an ...
, Wales, where he moved to from
Zambia
Zambia, officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Southern Africa, Southern and East Africa. It is typically referred to being in South-Central Africa or Southern Africa. It is bor ...
and raised as a teenager.
Earnshaw's son, known as Silva Mexes, signed for the
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
under 14 football team at the end of the 2023/24 season as well as the Thailand national U-17 team through his half-Thai mother.
In June 2024, Earnshaw married Bollywood actress Zarah Shah in Luttrellstown Castle.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Wales' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Earnshaw goal''.
Hat-trick record
He is the only player to have scored hat-tricks in the Premier League, Divisions 1, 2 and 3, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and in an international match.
*Premiership, West Bromwich Albion vs. Charlton, 19 March 2005
*Championship (Division 1), Cardiff vs. Gillingham (13 September 2003) and Nottingham Forest vs. Leicester City (5 December 2009)
*League One (Division 2), Cardiff vs. QPR (29 November 2002) and vs.
Tranmere Rovers
Tranmere Rovers Football Club are a professional association football club based in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. The team competes in , the fourth level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1884 as Belmont Football Club, they ...
(14 March 2003)
*League Two (Division 3), Cardiff vs.
Torquay United
Torquay United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the National League South, the sixth level of the English football league system. They have played their ho ...
(2 December 2000)
*FA Cup, Cardiff vs.
Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers FC is a men's professional football club in Bristol. The team competes in , the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club is affiliated to Bristol Rovers W.F.C., whose team play in the FA Women's National Leag ...
(19 November 2000)
*League Cup, Cardiff vs. Boston United (11 September 2002) and vs.
Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient Football Club, commonly referred to as Orient, is a professional association football club based in Leyton, Waltham Forest, London, England. The team compete in EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system. ...
(12 August 2003)
*International, Wales vs. Scotland (18 February 2004)
Honours
Cardiff City
*
Football League Cup
The English Football League Cup, often referred to as the League Cup and currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout competition in men's domestic football in England.
Orga ...
Israeli Premier League
The Israeli Premier League (, Ligat HaAl, ) is a professional association football league in Israel and the highest level of the Israeli football league system. The league is contested by 14 clubs, and operates on a system of promotion and rele ...
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year (often called the PFA Team of the Year, or simply the Team of the Year) is an annual award given to a set of 55 footballers across the top four tiers of men's Football in England, En ...
Welsh Footballer of the Year
The Welsh Footballer of the Year is an annual award chosen by the FAW, to determine the best player in Wales.
Winners Men
Women
See also
* List of sports awards honoring women
References
{{National Women's Footballer of the Year
A ...