Former Norwich City striker Rob Earnshaw has returned to where it all began for him with a move back to Cardiff.For a player who is just 30 and been a favourite of fans at the half dozen clubs he has called home this is surely the final chance to prove his true potential.
Earnshaw’s career has been strange in that for all the plaudits he’s had handed on him – not to mention the fact he’s scored hat-tricks in all four divisions, both domestic cups and for Wales – he’s struggled to stay longer than three seasons at any of his clubs his played with since leaving Cardiff.
Anyone who remembers 80s TV show The Littlest Hobo will be familiar with a dog that turns up in all sorts of situations hoping to do his bit to keep them out of trouble.
And that certainly applies to Earnie - what’s even more strange is that his career has largely been spent in the upper reaches of the Championship and he’s been transferred for over £12million.
Many managers have seen something in Earnshaw that’s made them want to sign the Zambia-born player but he’s perhaps been a little unlucky at the clubs he’s played for in that he’s been a victim of circumstance as a series of gaffers have signed him when they needed goals and he’s been expected to deliver.
Both West Brom and Derby bought him to the Premier League when they needed a striker to keep them up, while Norwich bought him on the same day they sold Dean Ashton for a record fee.
At Cardiff originally he had a glorious seven years, racking up an impressive 86 goals in 147 league starts.
When West Brom decided that he was the man needed to keep them in the Premier League in August 2004, Earnie finally had a crack at the big time. He was just 23 then and after signing just before the transfer deadline had a tough start, having to wait until November 6, 2004 for his first goals in the top flight, when he netted twice at Southampton.
Earnshaw’s goals that season did well to keep West Brom up – his goals earned them a point against Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United, but arguably the high point of his career came on March 19, 2005 when he netted that top flight hat-trick at Charlton.
The following season wasn’t so good for Earnshaw, just one more Premier League goal came in a 4-0 win over Everton in November 2005 and then, just after Norwich had sold Dean Ashton to West Ham, Earnshaw was drafted in as his replacement.
Norwich fans saw their big, powerful, awkward striker Ashton replaced by someone half a foot shorter and probably half as light as the former Crewe man. It took a while for Canaries followers to be convinced of the Welsh striker.
His debut came on February 5, 2006 in the home defeat to Ipswich and he went on to score eight goals for the Carrow Road club that season under Nigel Worthington.
Earnshaw’s big season with Norwich was the 2006/07 season and he started the season like a house on fire, scoring goals left, right and centre. His brace against Barnsley at the end of August 2006 put City top of the Championship, and he went on to score three more in September.
On October 1, 2006 Earnshaw scored the goal in a game Carrow Road will never forget – the televised 4-1 home loss to Burnley that spelt the end of Nigel Worthington’s reign as manager.
Peter Grant replaced him and Earnie found a rich scoring spell in November/December 2006 with seven goals in eight games including the winner at former club West Brom.
Three more goals came in 2007 before newly promoted Derby decided Earnie was the man they needed to keep them in the Premier League.
To say his Derby spell was a disaster is an understatement, just one league goal in 25 appearances which came in the penultimate game of the season, a 6-2 home defeat by Arsenal.
Despite that poor record Nottingham Forest paid £2.5 million for him three summers ago and he repaid them with 35 goals in 98 games.
And now he’s back at Cardiff and it’s great to see football’s hobo head home. He’s been popular at most clubs he’s played with (well maybe not Derby) and for whatever reason he’s never really settled in at any of his old clubs.
Just like Craig Bellamy, the man he’s set to replace at Cardiff, he seems to be heading back to somewhere that really appreciates him.
I for one would love to see Earnie get one more crack at the top flight with Cardiff in 2012/13, I know he’d get a warm reception at Carrow Road if that happens.
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