Taylor Gardner-Hickman
{{Short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Taylor Gardner-Hickman
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Taylor Gardner-Hickman{{Cite web |date=20 October 2020 |title=2020/21 Premier League squads confirmed |url=http://www.premierleague.com/news/1869523 |access-date=23 May 2021 |publisher=Premier League}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|12|30|df=y}}
| birth_place = Telford, England
| height = {{convert|1.88|m|order=flip}}{{Cite web |title=Taylor Gardner-Hickman |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/taylor-gardner-hickman/ |access-date=5 November 2021 |website=worldfootball.net}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Birmingham City
(on loan from Bristol City)
| clubnumber = 19
| youthyears1 = 2009–2021
| youthclubs1 = West Bromwich Albion
| years1 = 2021–2024
| clubs1 = West Bromwich Albion
| caps1 = 52
| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2023–2024
| clubs2 = → Bristol City (loan)
| caps2 = 23
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2024–
| clubs3 = Bristol City
| caps3 = 13
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2024–
| clubs4 = → Birmingham City (loan)
| caps4 = 30
| goals4 = 3
| nationalyears1 = 2022
| nationalteam1 = England U20
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 20:41, 24 April 2025 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Taylor Gardner-Hickman (born 30 December 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{English football updater|BirmingC}} club Birmingham City, on loan from {{English football updater|BristolC}} club Bristol City. He began his career with West Bromwich Albion and has represented England at under-20 level.
Early and personal life
Gardner-Hickman was born in Telford.{{Cite web |last=Masi |first=Joseph |date=31 March 2022 |title=Taylor Gardner-Hickman happy to fit in for West Brom |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2022/03/31/taylor-gardner-hickman-happy-to-fit-in-for-west-brom/ |access-date=1 April 2022 |website=Express & Star}} He is of Irish descent through his great-grandparents.{{Cite web |last=McDonnell |first=Daniel |date=9 March 2022 |title='It's unfortunate' – Ireland U21 boss Jim Crawford faces up to losing Charlie McCann to north |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/its-unfortunate-ireland-u21-boss-jim-crawford-faces-up-to-losing-charlie-mccann-to-north-41425831.html |access-date=1 April 2022 |website=Irish Independent}}
Club career
=West Bromwich Albion=
Having joined West Bromwich Albion's academy aged 7, Gardner-Hickman progressed through the club's youth academy.{{Cite web |title=Taylor Gardner-Hickman |url=https://www.wba.co.uk/player/80 |access-date=5 November 2021 |publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C. |language=en}} Gardner-Hickman made three appearances for the club's under-21 side in the 2020–21 EFL Trophy, scoring one goal. He was named in a West Bromwich Albion matchday squad for the first time on 9 May 2021 for a 3–1 defeat to Arsenal.{{Cite web |last=Masi |first=Joseph |date=9 May 2021 |title=Arsenal 3 West Brom 1 - Report |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2021/05/09/arsenal-3-west-brom-1---report/ |access-date=5 November 2021 |website=Express & Star}} He made his debut for the club on 25 August 2021, starting in a 6–0 EFL Cup second round defeat to Arsenal.{{Cite news |last=Chapman |first=Joseph |date=25 August 2021 |title=West Brom v Arsenal team news as Ismael hands out five debuts |work=Birmingham Mail |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-brom-v-arsenal-team-21402874 |access-date=25 August 2021}} He made his league debut for the club on 3 November 2021, starting at right wing-back as a replacement for the suspended Darnell Furlong in a 1–0 win over Hull City.{{Cite web |last=Masi |first=Joseph |date=5 November 2021 |title=Valerien Ismael determined to keep West Brom's top talent |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2021/11/05/valerien-ismael-determined-to-keep-west-broms-top-talent/ |access-date=5 November 2021 |website=Express & Star |language=en}} On 30 December 2021, Gardner-Hickman signed a new four-and-a-half-year deal, keeping him at the club until 2026.{{Cite web |url=https://www.wba.co.uk/news/gardner-hickman-signs-long-term-contract |title=Gardner-Hickman signs long-term contract |publisher=West Bromwich Albion F.C. |date=30 December 2021 |accessdate=23 August 2022}} Gardner-Hickman scored his first senior goal on 15 October 2022 in a 2-0 win at Reading.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/63182114 | title=Managerless West Brom earn surprise win at Reading | work=BBC Sport }}
= Bristol City =
On 22 August 2023, Hickman joined Bristol City on a season long loan with an option to buy.{{cite news |title=City sign Gardner-Hickman|url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/city-men-news/city-sign-gardner-hickman-on-loan/|access-date=22 August 2023 |publisher=Bristol City FC |date=22 August 2023}}
In December 2023, Gardner-Hickman was voted Bristol City's November Player of the Month, receiving 49% of the votes.{{Cite web |last=Morgan |first=Ryan |date=2023-12-01 |title=Gardner-Hickman voted November Player of the Month |url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/city-men-news/gardner-hickman-voted-november-player-of-the-month/ |access-date=2024-02-08 |website=Bristol City FC |language=en-ZA}}
On 15 January 2024, the club announced that they had exercised their option to buy and Gardner-Hickman had joined the club on a three-and-a-half-year contract.{{cite web|url=https://www.bcfc.co.uk/city-men-news/gardner-hickman-signs-permanent-deal/|title=Gardner-Hickman signs permanent deal|website=www.bcfc.co.uk|date=15 January 2024|accessdate=15 January 2024}}
= Birmingham City =
Gardner-Hickman joined recently relegated League One club Birmingham City on 23 August 2024 on loan for the rest of the season.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c5ykgr2lkdpo |title=Birmingham sign Bristol City's Gardner-Hickman |website=BBC Sport |date=23 August 2024 |access-date=23 August 2024}} The deal included an option to buy the player at the end of the season, which Birmingham confirmed on 3 February 2025 that they would be taking up.{{cite news |url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/birmingham-city-taylor-gardner-hickman-30925881 |title=Birmingham City confirm another summer transfer as Chris Davies favourite signs up |first=Alex |last=Dicken |newspaper=Birmingham Mail |date=3 February 2025 |access-date=3 February 2025}}
He scored the winning goal against Peterborough United on 8 April that confirmed Birmingham's promotion back to the Championship with six games still to play.{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/13341051/peterborough-1-2-birmingham |title=Peterborough 1–2 Birmingham: Taylor Gardner-Hickman winner seals automatic promotion for Blues |website=Sky Sports |date=8 April 2025 |access-date=10 April 2025}}
International career
On 25 March 2022, Gardner-Hickman made his England U20 debut in a 2–0 defeat to Poland in Bielsko-Biała.{{Cite web|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2022/Mar/25/poland-england-mu20s-match-report-20222503|title=Report: Poland 2-0 England MU20s|website=englandfootball.com|accessdate=26 March 2022}} and a 3–1 win over Germany in Colchester.
Style of play
Gardner-Hickman is primarily a right-sided player and is capable of playing at full-back, as a wide midfielder or in central midfield. In March 2022, manager Steve Bruce stated that he "believes his best position is right-back".{{Cite web |last=Masi |first=Joseph |date=2 March 2022 |title=Taylor Gardner-Hickman seen as a right-sided player at West Brom |url=https://www.expressandstar.com/sport/football/west-bromwich-albion/2022/03/02/taylor-gardner-hickman-is-not-central-to-steve-bruces-west-brom-plans/ |access-date=1 April 2022 |website=Express & Star}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 24 April 2025}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| West Bromwich Albion U21
|2020–21{{soccerbase season|117114|2020|accessdate=23 August 2024}} |colspan=3|— | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 3{{efn|name=EFLT|Appearances in EFL Trophy}} | 1 | 3 | 1 | ||||
| rowspan="4"|West Bromwich Albion
|2021–22{{soccerbase season|117114|2021|accessdate=23 August 2024}} |19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23{{soccerbase season|117114|2022|accessdate=23 August 2024}}
|Championship |31 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24{{soccerbase season|117114|2023|accessdate=23 August 2024}}
|Championship |2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 3 | 0 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!52 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 60 | 2 | ||
| Bristol City (loan)
|Championship |23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 24 | 1 | |||
| rowspan="3"|Bristol City
|Championship |13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | colspan=2|— | 15 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25
|Championship |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 1 | 0 | ||
| colspan=2|Total
!36||1||3||0||1||0||colspan=2|—||40||1 | ||||||||||
| Birmingham City (loan)
|2024–25{{soccerbase season|117114|2024|access-date=24 April 2025}} |30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan=2|— | 7{{efn|name=EFLT}} | 0 | 39 | 3 | ||
| colspan=3|Career total
!118 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 142 | 7 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Birmingham City
- EFL League One: 2024–25{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cj3xr53g0z5o |title=Birmingham win League One title after Wrexham draw |publisher=BBC Sport |date=12 April 2025 |access-date=14 April 2025}}
{{cite book |url=https://images.gc.eflservices.co.uk/13ec1e50-15e9-11f0-a2eb-91a1ddc0c472.pdf |title=Handbook: 2024/25 EFL Regulations |chapter=Section Six: EFL Regulations |at=38.2 p. 301 |publisher=English Football League |date=2024 |access-date=14 April 2025 |quote=To be eligible to receive a Championship, League One or Two winners medal, a player must have been named on the team sheet in at least 25% of the Club's league fixtures in that season.}}
{{cite web |url=https://uk.soccerway.com/teams/england/birmingham-city-fc/669/squad/ |title=Birmingham City FC: Squad: Statistics: 2024/2025 |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=14 April 2025}} - EFL Trophy runner-up: 2024–25{{cite news |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/birmingham-city-vs-peterborough-united/report/528824 |title=Birmingham City 0–2 Peterborough United: Harley Mills scores stunning free-kick as Posh become first team ever to retain Vertu Trophy |first=Dan |last=Long |publisher=Sky Sports |date=13 April 2025 |access-date=14 April 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{soccerbase|117114}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.whoscored.com/Players/415368/Show/Taylor-Gardner-Hickman |title=Taylor Gardner-Hickman |website=whoscored.com |access-date=2024-08-03}}
{{Birmingham City F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardner-Hickman, Taylor}}
Category:Footballers from Telford
Category:English men's footballers
Category:England men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:West Bromwich Albion F.C. players
Category:Bristol City F.C. players
Category:Birmingham City F.C. players