Gregory Ronald St Clair Goodridge (born 10 July 1971 in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

) is a former professional footballer. He has captained the Barbados national team and played professionally in the English

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

Club career

Nicknamed ''Lalu'', Goodridge, a pacy winger, signed an 18-month contract with

Torquay United Torquay United Football Club is a professional football club based in Torquay, Devon, England. The team currently compete in the , the fifth tier of English football. They have played their home matches at Plainmoor since 1921 and are nicknamed ...

on 7 February 1994, but due to work permit problems had to wait until 24 March to complete his signing from Barbados side Lambada F.C. the same team that Torquay United manager

Don O'Riordan Donald Joseph O'Riordan (born 14 May 1957) is an Irish football coach and former professional player, who is the manager of Women's National League club Treaty United. O'Riordan notably played for Middlesbrough, Grimsby Town and Notts County ...

would return to a year later to sign Rodney Jack. O'Riordan was notified about Goodridge and Jack by the Lambada English coach Kevin Millard who later sent other talented players from the Caribbean to O'Riordan during his years as manager in Ireland with Galway United FC and Sligo Rovers FC. He made his debut as a substitute in the 1–1 draw away to

Bury Bury may refer to: *The burial of human remains *-bury, a suffix in English placenames Places England * Bury, Cambridgeshire, a village * Bury, Greater Manchester, a town, historically in Lancashire ** Bury (UK Parliament constituency) (1832–19 ...

and soon dislodged Scott Colcombe from the side, playing eight times that season, scoring once. He became both a regular and a crowd favourite the following year with his runs with the ball and occasional long-range shooting. He moved to

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...

in August 1995 for a fee of £250,000, but struggled to settle at Loftus Road, only appearing in the league as a substitute on seven occasions, scoring once. In August 1996 he moved to

Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...

for £50,000 and became a regular in their side. He played a major role in the Robins 1997/98 promotion success, scoring stunning goals in home wins against Preston and Burnley. He lost his place in the 2000–01 season, and joined

Cheltenham Town Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. From the 2021–22 season, the club compete in League One, the third tier of the English football league syst ...

on loan on 23 February until the end of the season, when he returned to Ashton Gate and continued to try to win a place in Danny Wilson's side. In November 2001 he returned to Torquay United on a free transfer, signing a contract until the end of the season, but his second spell at

Plainmoor Plainmoor is an association football stadium located in the Plainmoor suburb of Torquay, Devon, England. Since 1921, the stadium has been the home of Torquay United Football Club, who currently compete in the National League, the fifth tier of E ...

was less successful than the first and he was released at the end of the season. Subsequently, he returned to Barbados to play for Ellerton United F.C. and is currently player coach at Brittons Hill United F C where he won the 2009 Premier league. Gregory Goodridge aged 51 signed with Stu Davies' De Graafschap and helped mastermind a 2–0 victory over Joe Crosland's FC Den Bosch with two world class assists.

References

External links

* 1971 births Living people Barbadian footballers Barbados international footballers Torquay United F.C. players Queens Park Rangers F.C. players Bristol City F.C. players Cheltenham Town F.C. players Premier League players Expatriate footballers in England Association football midfielders Association football defenders Rendezvous FC players Barbadian expatriate sportspeople in England Brittons Hill FC players {{Barbados-footy-bio-stub