All you need to know about John Ruddy, the Birmingham City goalkeeper

All you need to know about John Ruddy, the Birmingham City goalkeeper

Ciku Njuguna
updated at January 29, 2024 at 5:19 PM
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Birmingham City goalkeeper John Ruddy is an English Premier League icon. As of January 2024, the first-choice goalie has appeared in 29 matches in Championship and FA Cup tournaments in the 2023/24 season. Scroll down for everything you need to know about the 2017/18 Championship Golden Glove trophy winner.

John Ruddy
Wolverhampton Wanderers John Ruddy celebrates after his team scores against Watford during an FA Cup match at Wembley Stadium on April 7, 2019, in London, England. Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media.
Source: Getty Images

Sports Brief has used credible resources to prepare John Ruddy’s biography details. Dig in and discover details of the first-choice keeper’s personal and professional life.

John Ruddy’s profile summary

Full name

John Thomas Gordon Ruddy

Nickname

The Iceman

Date of birth

24 October 1986

Age

37 years old as of January 2024

Zodiac sign

Scorpio

Place of birth

Saint Ives, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom

Nationality

English

Ethnicity

White

Weight

96 kilograms (211.6 lbs)

Height

193 centimetres (6'3")

Father

John Ruddy Sr.

Relationship status

Married

Spouse

Laura Ruddy

Children

2

Education

Zouch Primary School

St Ivo School

Profession

Professional football player

Position

Goalkeeper

Current team

Birmingham City

Years active

2004 - present

Net worth

$19 Million

Social media pages

Instagram

How old is John Ruddy, the goalkeeper?

The goalkeeper who plays for Birmingham City is 38 years old as of January 2024. Based on John Ruddy’s age, his zodiac sign is Scorpio.

How tall is John Ruddy?

According to Eurosport, John Ruddy’s height is six feet and three inches tall (193 centimetres). He weighs 211.6 lbs (96 kilograms).

John Ruddy's age
John Ruddy of Wolverhampton Wanderers in action during a training session in Shanghai, China on July 19, 2019. Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA.
Source: Getty Images

John Ruddy's biography

John Thomas Gordon Ruddy was born in St Ives in Cambridgeshire, England. His father, John Ruddy Sr., was a serviceman in the Light Infantry. The keeper, whose best friend and best man is a veteran, hails from a military family with two uncles and a cousin who served in the English army.

The Iceman's military background has influenced his philanthropic endeavours. A report by the Telegraph revealed that with each of his clean sheets, a $250 donation is made from Norwich City to Help the Heroes. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he expressed his respect for the servicemen, emphasizing that the term hero should be reserved for them.

Education

His early education began at Zouch Primary School. He later joined St Ivo School. His athletic abilities became noticed at 14, and soon after, he joined the Cambridge United youth systems.

Is Jack Ruddy related to John Ruddy?
Birmingham's John Ruddy takes a cross during a Sky Bet Championship match against Preston North End at St Andrew's Trillion Trophy Stadium on January 21, 2023. Photo by Andrew Kearns/CameraSport.
Source: Getty Images

John Ruddy’s family

The English footballer is married to Laura Ruddy. The couple got married on March 2, 2012, a date that coincided with England's Euro 2012 warm-up international against Belgium. Although he offered to postpone his nuptials, the Football Association allowed him to miss the match. He later expressed his gratitude to the FA, saying,

“I am delighted and grateful to the Football Association for agreeing to let me go ahead and get married. It would have been a nightmare after one and a half years of planning to have to postpone the wedding, so it is a relief.”

John Ruddy's wife, Laura, owns and runs the Norfolk Luxury Furniture, an online furniture shop. The couple has two children, Sophie and Jack.

Laura Ruddy
John and his wife, Laura Ruddy, attend a screening of 'The Big Wedding' at May Fair Hotel on May 23, 2013, in London, England. Photo by Karwai Tang.
Source: Getty Images

The English football player has one son, Jack Ruddy. There are various similarities between John Ruddy's son, Jack, and the Iceman. They both play football in the keeper position. The father and son duo are top-rated players who have played for Norwich City.

Career

At fourteen, the stopper was scouted into Cambridge United Academy. After graduating from the academy, he climbed the club's youth systems ranks and started in 38 matches in 2004/05. Scroll down for a comprehensive summary of the keeper's career.

What teams has John Ruddy played for?

John is one of the best goalkeepers of all time who played for England and the Premier League. The 37-year-old keeper has had a successful career for two decades, where he played for 15 football teams through the EFL and the Scottish Premiership ranks. Here is a summary of John Ruddy's stats at each club.

Where was John Ruddy born?
Norwich City's John Ruddy dives to save a goal during a Barclays Premier League match against West Ham United at Carrow Road on February 13, 2016 in Norwich, England. Photo by Michael Regan.
Source: Getty Images

Team

Date joined

Appearances

Goals conceded

Clean sheets

Cambridge United

July 1, 2004

41

46

13

Everton FC

July 1, 2005

1

-

1

Walsall FC

September 1, 2005

5

8

1

Rushden & Diamonds

November 1, 2005

4

9

1

Chester City

January 1, 2006

4

5

-

Stockport County

September 1, 2006

24

16

12

Wrexham AFC

February 1, 2007

5

9

1

Bristol City

April 1, 2007

1

1

-

Crewe Alexandra

January 1, 2009

19

21

6

Motherwell FC

July 1, 2009

39

60

15

Norwich City

July 1, 2010

242

334

60

Wolverhampton Wanderers

July 10, 2017

72

59

36

Birmingham City

July 14, 2022

72

98

20

Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21

-

4

6

-

Norwich City Under-21

-

3

5

1

Did John Ruddy play for England?

The stopper who plays for Birmingham City is the 108th goalkeeper to play for England’s national football team. His first appearance for The Three Lions was in 2005 during a UEFA Under-19 Championship tournament.

As of January 2024, he had received 14 call-ups. He appeared in one of the matches in August 2012 during an international friendly against Italy's Gli Azzurri.

John Ruddy's awards

With over two decades in the sport, Ruddy is one of the most experienced football players. Here is a list of some of his career achievements over the years.

  • 2023 Birmingham City's Players' Player of the Season
  • 2017/18 Championship Golden Glove trophy
  • 2018 PFA Championship Team of the Year
  • 2012 Norwich’s Players' Player of the Season
  • 2012 Norwich City’s Player of the Season
Did John Ruddy play for England?
John Ruddy of Wolverhampton Wanderers makes a save during a training session at the Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground on January 12, 2022, in Wolverhampton, England. Photo by Jack Thomas/WWFC/Wolves.
Source: Getty Images

Frequently asked questions

In 2011, the Iceman played a role in helping his former club, Norwich City, earn a promotion to the Premier League. Have a look at other facts about the Birmingham City keeper.

1. What is John Ruddy's nationality?

By virtue of birth, he holds an Englishman citizenship. His eligibility for national duty remains with England.

2. How much is John Ruddy's salary?

How much does a Birmingham City player get paid? The average salary of a Birmingham City player stands at $8,643 per week. According to Capology, his one-year contract with the club guarantees him an annual salary of $559,475, not including bonuses. Other sources, such as Salary Sport, reveal that his weekly wage of $11,571 guarantees him approximately $601,721.

3. How much is John Ruddy's net worth?

Tabloids estimate Birmingham's number 21 goalkeeper's net worth to be $16.3 million. Other publications, such as Idol Net Worth, report that his financial portfolio amounts to $19 million.

Did John Ruddy play for England?
Birmingham's John Ruddy (in yellow) saves a goal during a Sky Bet Championship match against Blackburn Rovers on April 1, 2023, in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Photo by Lee Parker/CameraSport.
Source: Getty Images

Final word

John Ruddy is one of the best-performing English football players of all time. Amid retirement rumours, the living legend continues to wow fans and teammates with his skills.

READ ALSO: Top 15 goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in football

Sports Brief has published an article ranking the goalkeepers with the most clean sheets in global football. The report rates the performance of the keepers in the Serie A, the Ukrainian Premier League, the English Premier League, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga. Click on the link above for details of the best-performing goalkeepers of all time.

Authors
Ciku Njuguna photo
Ciku Njuguna
Ciku Njuguna is a journalist with 3 year’s experience in content creation based in Kenya. She currently covers sports personnel as well as team biographies.