Robert Earnshaw Bio Send To Friend  

The Rams handed the diminutive striker his second crack at the Premiership, having struggled to make his mark with West Bromwich Albion in 2004/05.

The Wales international first burst onto the scene at Cardiff City as a lower division striker of immense quality. The forward made his debut for Cardiff in a 2-0 LDV Vans Trophy defeat at home to Millwall in December 1997, aged just 16, and made his League bow in a goalless draw at home to Brighton in March 1998.

Earnshaw was again used sparingly in 1998/99, but he did score his first ever goal in a 1-1 Third Division draw at Hartlepool United.

He was loaned out to Scottish First Division side Morton in December 2000, bagging two goals in four appearances.

The striker broke into the Cardiff team in the 2000/01 campaign and he never looked back.

The tricky, skillful player plundered 25 goals that term, 19 in the Third Division campaign, as Cardiff were promoted as runners-up to Brighton & Hove Albion.

The step up to the Second Division proved simple for the Zambia-born player. Despite missing parts of the season through injury he still netted 16 goals, 13 in the League.

That form led to a call-up to the full Wales squad for the former Under-21 international. He made his debut in an international friendly at home to Germany in May 2002 - and marked it with the only goal of the game just after the interval.

Earnshaw was instrumental in Cardiff's promotion to the First Division through the play-offs in 2002/03. He scored a mammoth 36 goals in all competitions - including an amazing 31 in 39 starts in the league and a further strike for Wales against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

He continued to impress in the First Division, firing in another 26 club goals and five more for Wales. His return for Wales included a fine hat-trick in a friendly against Scotland.

It was only a matter of time before a Premiership club gave him the chance to transform a hugely impressive rise up the divisions into top flight football. And Earnshaw moved to West Bromwich Albion for £3million, rising to £3.65million, in August 2004. It was a club record fee for the Baggies.

He was in and out of the West Brom team under manager Bryan Robson but the pacy striker scored 11 goals, before Championship side Norwich City signed him for £3.5 million in January 2006.

The front-man netted eight times in his first 15 games for the Canaries and netted 19 in 32 during the 2006/07 season.

Earnshaw is the only player to score hat-tricks in all four divisions of the Football League and Premier League, the FA Cup, League Cup and at international level.