Michael Gardyne (born 23 January 1986) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Montrose. Gardyne previously played for Ross County, Morton, Kilmarnock, Dundee United and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Michael Gardyne
Personal information
Full name Michael Gardyne
Date of birth (1986-01-23) 23 January 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth Dundee, Scotland
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Montrose
Youth career
2004–2006 Celtic
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2007 Celtic 0 (0)
2006–2007Ross County (loan) 32 (6)
2007 Greenock Morton 10 (0)
2008–2012 Ross County 141 (26)
2012–2015 Dundee United 30 (3)
2013–2014Kilmarnock (loan) 23 (1)
2014–2015Ross County (loan) 24 (6)
2014–2021 Ross County 171 (14)
2021–2022 Inverness CT 11 (5)
2022– Montrose 62 (7)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:05, 9 June 2023

Club career edit

Born in Dundee, Gardyne began his career with Celtic, the team he supported as a boy. He signed a professional contract in 2004 and was tipped to be one of the "next crop of youngsters to emerge"[1] but found first-team opportunities limited and spent his first two seasons in the reserve team.[2]

Once credited for performing a 'toilet activity' within a teammate's football boot. Additionally, Gardyne himself confessed to being too focus on making teammates laugh rather than performing top quality skill at training while at Celtic.

Gardyne spent the 2006–07 season on loan to Ross County, scoring on his debut[3] and being part of the side that won the 2006–07 Challenge Cup, scoring the first penalty in the shootout victory against Clyde.[4]

After returning to Celtic, Gardyne left the club permanently and joined Greenock Morton on a free transfer on 31 August 2007, having worked with Morton manager Jim McInally previously in Celtic's youth team.[5] The move lasted just five months, however and Gardyne returned to Ross County in January 2008, going on to help them win the Second Division title that season. Gardyne's form in the 2009–10 season saw him nominated for the Scottish Football League First Division Player of the Year[6] and gain a Scottish Cup runners-up medal. The following season, Gardyne tasted cup success again when County won the Challenge Cup for the second time in three seasons.[7]

Out of contract at the end of the 2011–12 season, Gardyne signed a pre-contract agreement with hometown Scottish Premier League club Dundee United in January 2012,[8] some 18 months after the move was first rumoured.[9] In early August, Gardyne scored on his league debut in the victory against Hibernian, appearing as a late substitute.

In August 2013, Gardyne joined Kilmarnock on loan for 6 months,[10] and in January 2014 it was confirmed that the loan deal had been extended until the end of the season.[11]

On 1 September 2014, Gardyne returned to Ross County, signing on loan until January 2015.[12] He made his first appearance since returning to the club on 13 September 2014, in a 2–1 home defeat against Motherwell.[13] Dundee United announced in April 2015 that Gardyne would be released when his contract expired at the end of the season.[14]

In May 2015, Gardyne signed for Ross County on a permanent basis.[15] Gardyne became Ross County's all-time top goal scorer on 29 December 2015 when he scored twice against Kilmarnock in a 3–2 win which brought him to 60 goals for County.[16] On 13 March 2016, Gardyne scored the opening goal as Ross County won their first major silverware with a 2–1 victory over Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup.[17] Gardyne was released by Ross County on 27 May 2021 along with nine other players[18] and subsequently joined Highland derby rivals Inverness Caledonian Thistle.[19] Gardyne would have his contract with the Caley Jags mutually terminated in January 2022.[20]

Gardyne signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Montrose in January 2022.[21]

Club statistics edit

As of match played 6 May 2023[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Scottish Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ross County (loan) 2006–07[23] Scottish First Division 32 6 1 0 2 0 4[a] 0 39 6
Morton 2007–08[24] Scottish First Division 10 0 1 0 0 0 1[a] 0 12 0
Ross County 2007–08[24] Scottish Second Division 16 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 4
2008–09[25] Scottish First Division 27 1 1 0 0 0 2[a] 0 30 1
2009–10[26] 34 5 7 3 3 2 4[a] 3 48 13
2010–11[27] 30 3 2 0 1 1 4[a] 1 37 5
2011–12[28] 34 13 3 4 3 1 1[a] 0 41 18
Total 141 26 13 7 7 4 11 4 172 41
Dundee United 2012–13[29] Scottish Premier League 30 3 4 0 2 0 1[b] 0 37 3
2013–14[30] Scottish Premiership 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014–15[31] 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 30 3 4 0 2 0 1 0 37 3
Kilmarnock (loan) 2013–14[30] Scottish Premiership 23 1 0 0 0 0 23 1
Ross County (loan) 2014–15[31] Scottish Premiership 24 6 1 0 1 0 26 6
Ross County 2015–16[32] Scottish Premiership 35 5 4 0 4 3 43 8
2016–17[33] 33 2 1 0 4 0 38 2
2017–18[34] 33 3 1 0 5 1 39 4
2018–19[35] Scottish Championship 25 2 3 1 5 1 2[a] 0 35 4
2019–20[36] Scottish Premiership 14 0 0 0 3 0 17 0
2020–21[37] 31 2 1 0 3 0 35 2
Total 171 14 10 1 24 5 2 0 207 20
Inverness Caledonian Thistle 2021–22 Scottish Championship 11 5 0 0 4 0 15 5
Montrose 2021–22 Scottish League One 14 3 0 0 0 0 2[c] 0 16 3
2022–23 30 3 1 0 0 0 1[a] 1 32 4
Total 44 3 1 0 0 0 3 1 48 7
Career total 486 67 31 8 40 9 22 5 578 89
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup
  2. ^ Appearance in the Europa League
  3. ^ Appearances in the Scottish Championship play-offs

Honours edit

Club edit

Ross County

Individual edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Scotland to emerge from darkness". BBC Sport. 15 October 2004. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  2. ^ "Du Wei comes through Celtic debut". BBC Sport. 14 September 2005. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  3. ^ "Airdrie United 0–2 Ross County". BBC Sport. 5 August 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  4. ^ a b "Ross County 1–1 Clyde (aet)". BBC Sport. 12 November 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Morton sign Russell and Gardyne". BBC Sport. 31 August 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
  6. ^ "Rangers quartet vie for Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. 15 April 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  7. ^ a b Miller, Stevie (10 April 2011). "Queen of the South 0–2 Ross County". BBC Sport. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Ross County's Michael Gardyne set to join Dundee United". BBC Sport. 10 January 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Friday's Scottish gossip". BBC Sport. 30 July 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2012.
  10. ^ "Kilmarnock land Michael Gardyne on loan from Dundee Utd". BBC Sport. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Killie can keep loan pair". Express Sport. 6 January 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  12. ^ "Michael Gardyne returns to Ross County on loan from Dundee United". STV Sport. 1 September 2014. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  13. ^ Thomson, Andrew (13 September 2014). "Ross County 1–2 Motherwell". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
  14. ^ "Dundee United to release trio at the end of the season". BBC Sport. 30 April 2015. Retrieved 30 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Ross County: Woods exits as Gardyne & Boyd sign new deals". BBC Sport. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Ross County: Michael Gardyne becomes club's record goalscorer". BBC Sport. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  17. ^ a b Wilson, Richard (13 March 2016). "Scottish League Cup Final: Hibernian 1 Ross County 2". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  18. ^ "squad update". Ross County F.C. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  19. ^ Skinner, Andy (2 July 2021). "Billy Dodds hoping to rekindle successful partnership with Michael Gardyne at Caley Thistle". Press and Journal. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  20. ^ "Club Statement". ICTFC. 6 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  21. ^ Skinner, Andy (7 January 2022). "Michael Gardyne joins Montrose following Caley Thistle exit". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  22. ^ Michael Gardyne at Soccerway. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  23. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2006/2007". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  24. ^ a b "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  25. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  26. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  27. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  28. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  29. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  30. ^ a b "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  31. ^ a b "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  32. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  33. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  34. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  35. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  36. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  37. ^ "Games played by Michael Gardyne in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  38. ^ "Ross County lifted the Challenge Cup for a third time". BBC Sport. 23 March 2019. Retrieved 23 March 2019.

External links edit