Liam Ridgewell

3.1. Aston Villa

Ridgewell's senior career commenced with Aston Villa, where he had been part of the youth system. In October 2002, the day after scoring for England Under-19s in a 2-2 draw against Yugoslavia, he was loaned to AFC Bournemouth in the Third Division. He made his professional debut in the Football League for Bournemouth on October 13, in a 2-1 win over Hartlepool United, and played five games during his month-long loan spell.

His first-team debut for Aston Villa occurred on January 4, 2003, in an FA Cup third-round match against Blackburn Rovers, coming on as a substitute in a 4-1 defeat. His Premier League debut followed on December 28, 2003, when he replaced Mark Delaney in a 3-0 home victory against Fulham, making 11 appearances throughout the 2003-04 season.

On January 15, 2005, Ridgewell scored his inaugural professional goal, heading in a cross from Nolberto Solano to open a 3-0 win against Norwich City. Later that season, on April 10, he and West Bromwich Albion opponent Jonathan Greening were both sent off for headbutting each other during a 1-1 draw in the fierce local derby. In the subsequent Premier League campaign (2005-06), Ridgewell had a prolific season for a defender, scoring five goals in 32 appearances, including two goals in a 3-3 draw at Fulham on December 28, 2005. His only goal during the 2006-07 season came against his former club, West Ham United, on September 10, 2006.

3.2. Birmingham City

On August 3, 2007, Ridgewell completed a transfer to Aston Villa's local rivals, Birmingham City, for a fee of 2.00 M GBP. This move was particularly notable as he became the first player to transfer directly between the two rival clubs since Des Bremner in 1984.

Early in his tenure at Birmingham City, Ridgewell was entrusted with the captain's armband due to the injury absence of regular captain Damien Johnson, an appointment he described as "a real honour." Despite initial concerns among some fans regarding his transfer from Aston Villa, Ridgewell's strong performances quickly won over the club's supporters. He scored his first goal for Birmingham City in October against Wigan Athletic at St Andrew's, contributing to a 3-2 victory. However, just two weeks later, he scored an own goal in the Birmingham derby at St Andrew's.

In April 2009, Ridgewell sustained a broken leg following a challenge from Plymouth Argyle midfielder Jamie Mackie. Demonstrating remarkable recovery, he made an unexpectedly quick return to the side five months later. He often played in the less familiar position of left-back due to the strong form of preferred center-backs Roger Johnson and Scott Dann. In this role, he was part of Birmingham's club-record 12-match unbeaten streak in the top division and contributed to a Premier League record of fielding the same starting eleven for nine consecutive games. On January 30, 2010, he scored a crucial 91st-minute equalizer against Tottenham Hotspur, ensuring Birmingham remained unbeaten at home since the previous September.

Ridgewell's goalscoring contributions continued into the FA Cup, where he netted a stoppage-time winner against Derby County, sending Birmingham into the quarter-finals. In the quarter-final match against Portsmouth, a goal he scored was controversially disallowed despite the ball appearing to have clearly crossed the line. He also scored an equalizing goal against Liverpool in a league fixture. In June 2010, Ridgewell signed a new contract with Birmingham, extending his stay until June 2013.

A significant moment in his career came when he played the full 90 minutes in the 2011 Football League Cup Final, where Birmingham City famously defeated favorites Arsenal 2-1, securing qualification for the Europa League. In August 2011, facing a midfield injury crisis, Ridgewell played in an unfamiliar holding midfield position in the Europa League play-off round first leg against Portuguese club Nacional, marking Birmingham's first participation in a major European competition in nearly 50 years. As the August 2011 transfer deadline approached, Ridgewell submitted a transfer request, which the club rejected, and despite interest from Premier League clubs including Newcastle United, he remained with Birmingham.

3.3. West Bromwich Albion

On January 31, 2012, Ridgewell completed a transfer to West Bromwich Albion, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract. The transfer fee remained undisclosed. His debut for West Brom occurred on February 12 in a dominant 5-1 away victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. A week later, he made his home debut as West Brom defeated Sunderland 4-0 at The Hawthorns. Ridgewell scored his first goal for West Brom on April 7, contributing to a 3-0 home win against Blackburn Rovers. On May 16, 2014, West Bromwich Albion announced that they would not exercise the option to extend Ridgewell's contract, leading to his release from the club.

3.4. Portland Timbers

Ridgewell moved to Major League Soccer on June 25, 2014, when he was signed as a Designated Player for the Portland Timbers. He made his MLS debut on July 18 at Providence Park, a match that saw the Timbers achieve a 2-1 comeback victory over the visiting Colorado Rapids. His impressive early performances led to his selection for the 2014 MLS All-Star Game against Bayern Munich, where he replaced the injured Kyle Beckerman. On August 16, 2014, Ridgewell scored his first goal for the Timbers, an equalizer against the New England Revolution, following a remarkable 45 yd solo run.

During the MLS off-season, Ridgewell undertook two loan spells in England. On January 8, 2015, he signed a six-week loan deal with Wigan Athletic, making six appearances for the club, which was ultimately relegated from the Championship at the end of the season. On June 25, 2015, during an MLS match, Ridgewell was sent off in a 5-0 loss at LA Galaxy for a kick at Alan Gordon. The Timbers qualified for the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs, where Ridgewell opened the scoring in a 3-1 first-leg victory over Western Conference regular season champions FC Dallas on November 22. This helped propel the team to the MLS Cup 2015 final. On December 6, he captained the Timbers to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew at Mapfre Stadium, securing the MLS Cup title.

In December 2015, Ridgewell agreed to a short-term loan with Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion, which began on January 2, 2016, and concluded before the second half of the Timbers' preseason. He made five league appearances for Brighton during this period, contributing to four wins. On September 30, 2018, in a goalless home draw against FC Dallas, Ridgewell was sent off for a foul on Roland Lamah. The Timbers again reached the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs, defeating rivals Seattle Sounders FC in a penalty shootout in the Western Conference semi-finals. Ridgewell's final game for Portland was the MLS Cup 2018 final, where the Timbers lost 2-0 to Atlanta United FC. On January 10, 2019, Ridgewell and the Portland Timbers mutually agreed to part ways.

3.5. Return to England and retirement

On January 31, 2019, Ridgewell returned to England, joining Hull City for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. He made his debut on February 9, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute in a 2-0 loss at Derby County. Hull City released him at the end of the season.

On August 9, 2019, Ridgewell signed a one-year deal with EFL League One club Southend United, with an option for a second year. He made his debut the following day in the season opener, a 3-1 home defeat to Blackpool, starting on the left of a three-man defense before being substituted. Manager Kevin Bond later commented that starting Ridgewell, who had not played any pre-season friendlies, might have been "unfair." He left Southend United on January 31, 2020, having made no further appearances. On May 22, 2020, Ridgewell officially retired from professional football and subsequently joined amateur side Sutton Rangers in the Sutton and District Sunday League.

6.1. Controversies and other activities

Ridgewell has been involved in several publicly documented incidents. In October 2016, while playing for Portland Timbers, he and teammate Jake Gleeson were arrested and charged with driving under the influence and refusing breathalyzer tests in Lake Oswego, Oregon. However, the case against Ridgewell was dropped in January 2017, when a judge determined that the police lacked sufficient cause to stop and test him, while Gleeson pleaded no contest to his charges.

In December 2012, a photograph of Ridgewell wiping his backside with a stack of £20 notes was published by The Sun newspaper. The image, which he claimed was a joke intended for friends, drew widespread condemnation. Ridgewell promptly issued an apology for the incident. The controversy occurred during a challenging week for him, as shortly after the uproar, he suffered an injury in a match against Arsenal on December 8, 2012, forcing him off the field in the sixth minute.