Former Premier League wonderkid Jack Rodwell’s career hangs in limbo after receiving a red card in the A-League.
Rodwell, who played for Everton, Manchester City and Sunderland in the Premier League, saw his season come to an abrupt end on Friday night when the Sydney FC star was sent off.
Football Australia’s independent match review panel has upheld the two-match suspension, meaning he will not play again this season with two matches left in the domestic calendar.
The defender was shown a straight red after a studs-up challenge on Christian Theoharous in Sydney’s 2-1 semi-final first-leg loss to the Central Coast Mariners at the Allianz Stadium.
Rodwell, who looks completely unrecognisable to the player who started his career out at Everton in 2007, will see his contract expire at the end of the season at Sydney.
“I’ll take a bit of time to see what my options look like at the end of the season,” Rodwell told News Corp Australia last week.
It means that the 33-year-old might have already played his last game for the Australian club, who he joined in 2022.
The Southport-born star, who left English shores when at Sheffield United in 2021 for Western Sydney Wanderers, was renowned for his buzzcut hairstyle.
However, Down Under he has adopted a new look, sporting a top-knot which might leave some pondering who he once was.
When Rodwell came onto the scene at Everton in 2007, he was denoted as one of the best youngsters in English football at the time.
So much so, that City splashed out on a fee of up to £15million for his services – a big fee at the time for a player that still had plenty to prove.
Despite his obvious talent, Rodwell struggled to break into a side that had top players including Yaya Toure, Gareth Barry, Nigel de Jong and James Milner.
After just two years and 16 league appearances, the Englishman joined Sunderland but his star had faded and he struggled to return to the kind of form that landed him a big move in the first place.
Unsuccessful stints at Blackburn and Sheffield United would follow before moving to Australia to play in the A-League.
But where Rodwell will play next season remains to be seen with his year-long deal at Sydney expiring and no sign of a renewal in sight.
News Summary:
- Forgotten Premier League wonderkid who now looks unrecognisable may be free agent after red card ends season early
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