This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (February 2013) |
Martin Charles Rowlands (born 8 February 1979) is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in England, he has represented Ireland at youth level.
 Rowlands in 2007 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Martin Charles Rowlands[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 8 February 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Hammersmith, London, England | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–1997 | Wycombe Wanderers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–1998 | Farnborough Town | 39 | (7) |
| 1998–2003 | Brentford | 152 | (20) |
| 2003–2012 | Queens Park Rangers | 198 | (33) |
| 2011 | → Millwall (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Wycombe Wanderers (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2012 | Colchester United | 9 | (2) |
| 2012–2013 | Leyton Orient | 33 | (4) |
| 2013–2014 | Aldershot Town | 36 | (2) |
| Total | 478 | (68) | |
| International career | |||
| 1999–2000 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 8 | (1) |
| 2004–2009 | Republic of Ireland | 5 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
editAfter starring for Heston Gaels GAA club at underage level, Rowlands started his football career at Wycombe Wanderers, but did not earn a professional contract and joined Farnborough Town in 1997 before moving to Brentford in August 1998 for a transfer fee of £45,000.[2] In five seasons with Brentford, he made 186 appearances in all competitions, scoring 23 goals.[2]
After suffering a broken leg, Queens Park Rangers manager Ian Holloway took a gamble on Rowlands and signed him on a free transfer from local rivals Brentford in the summer of 2003. This gamble paid off, as Rowlands scored 12 goals from midfield, helping his new side to promotion from the Second Division.[3] That season, Rowlands also showed versatility, playing right back, right midfield, left midfield and centre midfield; excelling in all positions. He won both the supporters and players' player of the year competitions.
Since then, Rowlands has suffered many injuries and has never truly recaptured his outstanding form of 2003–04. However, in 2006–07 he managed to score 10 goals from midfield.[4]
In 2007–08 he was selected captain, and was regularly among Rangers` best performers. He played 43 league games, scoring 6 goals, including a memorable brace in Rangers' 4–2 victory at Watford.[5] He won both the Supporters' Player of the Year and the Ray Jones Players' Player of the Year award. As of January 2012 Rowlands was the longest-serving member of the Queens Park Rangers squad having spent nine years at the club.
On 25 February 2011 Rowlands signed for Millwall, on an emergency one-month loan, after only playing 23 minutes of competitive football for QPR in the 2010–11 season. On 31 January 2012, Rowlands' contract with Queens Park Rangers was terminated by mutual consent. On 2 February 2012, Rowlands signed a contract with Colchester United. After a solid three months with the U's, he was released from his contract after suffering with injuries.[6] He made nine appearances and scored two goals during his time in Essex.[2]
Rowlands signed on a month-long contract with Leyton Orient on 28 August 2012, after spending several weeks training with the London club, and featuring in two pre-season friendly matches.[7]
On 22 September 2012, Rowlands scored his first Orient goal, a 20-yard volley against Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road. The game ended 1–1.[8] After 40 appearances and four goals in all competitions,[8] he rejected a contract extension at the end of the 2012–13 season, and became a free agent.
Rowlands signed for Conference Premier side Aldershot Town for the 2013–14 season.[9]
International career
editFollowing good displays with Queens Park Rangers, Rowlands was called up to the Republic of Ireland squad in the summer of 2004, playing two games. His good club form in season 2007/2008 and his subsequent player of the year awards with Queens Park Rangers led to Rowlands being included in Giovanni Trappatoni's first Republic of Ireland squad.
After a substitute appearance against Italy in Ireland's penultimate qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup, Rowlands was chosen to start for Ireland against Montenegro in their final group game.
On 14 October 2009, he injured his anterior cruciate ligament while playing for the Republic of Ireland against Montenegro, resulting in him being ruled out of the rest of the 2009–10 season for QPR.
Personal life
editRowlands attended Fielding Primary School in Northfields and Drayton Manor High School.[10] He has four brothers.[10] Rowlands is now a football agent for the Stellar group
Career statistics
editClub
edit| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Other[11] | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Farnborough Town | 1996–97[12] | Conference | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1997–98[13] | Conference | 34 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 35 | 7 | ||
| Total | 39 | 7 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 40 | 7 | |||
| Brentford | 1998–99[14] | Third Division | 36 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 46 | 5 |
| 1999–00[15] | Second Division | 40 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 47 | 6 | |
| 2000–01[16] | Second Division | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 43 | 4 | |
| 2001–02[17] | Second Division | 26 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 | |
| 2002–03[18] | Second Division | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| Total | 152 | 20 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 186 | 23 | ||
| Queens Park Rangers | 2003–04[3] | Second Division | 42 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 48 | 12 |
| 2004–05[19] | Championship | 35 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 38 | 4 | ||
| 2005–06[20] | Championship | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 2 | ||
| 2006–07[4] | Championship | 29 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 10 | ||
| 2007–08[5] | Championship | 44 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | 46 | 7 | ||
| 2008–09[21] | Championship | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 29 | 2 | ||
| 2009–10[22] | Championship | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11[23] | Championship | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2011–12[24] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 198 | 33 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 214 | 37 | ||
| Millwall (loan) | 2010–11[23] | Championship | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| Wycombe Wanderers (loan) | 2011–12[24] | League One | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | |
| Colchester United | 2011–12[24] | League One | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| Leyton Orient | 2012–13[8] | League One | 33 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 4 |
| Aldershot Town | 2013–14[9] | Conference Premier | 36 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 42 | 2 | |
| Career total | 478 | 68 | 23 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 20 | 3 | 543 | 76 | ||
International
edit| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Republic of Ireland | 2004 | 3 | 0 |
| 2005 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 0 | |
Honours
editBrentford
- Football League Third Division: 1998–99
- Football League Trophy runner-up: 2000–01[26]
Queens Park Rangers
- Football League Second Division runner up: 2003–04
Individual
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Martin Rowlands". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b c "Martin Rowlands". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 29 March 2008.
- ^ a b "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2003/2004 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2006/2007 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2007–08 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Colchester United sign Martin Rowlands after QPR exit". BBC Sport. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
- ^ "Os add Rowlands to squad". Leyton Orient F.C. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ a b c "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2012/2013 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Republic of Ireland – M. Rowlands – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b MacInnes, Keith. "Brentford Football Club". Archived from the original on 11 August 2002. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ Includes other competitive competitions, including the Football League Trophy, Football League play-offs and FA Trophy
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 1996/1997 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 1997/1998 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 1998/1999 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 1999/2000 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2000/2001 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2001/2002 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2002/2003 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2004/2005 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2005/2006 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2008/2009 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2009/2010 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2010/2011 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ a b c "Martin Rowlands | Football Stats | No Club | Season 2011/2012 | 1997–2014 | Soccer Base". www.soccerbase.com. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
- ^ "Martin Rowlands". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
- ^ "Vale vault Brentford to lift Vans trophy". BBC Sport. 22 April 2001. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- ^ Croxford, Mark; Lane, David; Waterman, Greville (2011). The Big Brentford Book of the 90s. Legends Publishing. p. 445. ISBN 978-1906796716.
External links
edit- Martin Rowlands at Soccerbase
- Martin Rowlands at National-Football-Teams.com
