Rory Alexander McArdle (born 1 May 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for League Two club Harrogate Town. He has previously played for Sheffield Wednesday, Rochdale, Aberdeen, Bradford City and Scunthorpe United, and represented the Northern Ireland national football team.
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![]() McArdle in 2010 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Rory Alexander McArdle[1] | ||
Date of birth | (1987-05-01) 1 May 1987 (age 35) | ||
Place of birth | Sheffield, England | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Club information | |||
Current team | Harrogate Town | ||
Number | 23 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2004–2007 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1 | (0) |
2005–2006 | → Rochdale (loan) | 19 | (1) |
2006–2007 | → Rochdale (loan) | 9 | (0) |
2007–2010 | Rochdale | 125 | (5) |
2010–2012 | Aberdeen | 53 | (2) |
2012–2017 | Bradford City | 183 | (12) |
2017–2020 | Scunthorpe United | 100 | (4) |
2020–2021 | Exeter City | 21 | (1) |
2021– | Harrogate Town | 5 | (0) |
National team‡ | |||
Northern Ireland U19[2] | 11 | (0) | |
2006–2008 | Northern Ireland U21 | 19 | (1) |
2010–2014 | Northern Ireland | 7 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:20, 1 July 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:35, 5 May 2017 (UTC) |
On 19 May 2010, McArdle signed a contract with Scottish Premier League club Aberdeen.[3] Near the end of the 2011–12 season, McArdle was advised that his contract with Aberdeen would not be extended.[4]
McArdle signed for Bradford City on 6 June 2012, signing a two-year contract.[5][6] He made his debut on 11 August in a 1–0 win in the League Cup against Notts County.[7] He made his league debut a week later against Gillingham.[8] He made his home debut on 21 August, in a 1–0 win against Fleetwood Town.[9] He scored his first goal for the club on 25 August in a 5–1 win against AFC Wimbledon.[10] On 8 January, McArdle scored a header against Premier League side Aston Villa in the first leg of the semi-final of the League Cup, as Bradford incredibly won 3–1.[11] He also played in the second leg, which saw Bradford advance to the final 4–3 on aggregate.[12] He started in the final which Bradford lost to Premier League side Swansea City.[13] He scored his second league goal for the club on 1 April, helping Bradford to a 3–1 away to Torquay United.[14] He then scored in the 2013 Football League Two play-off Final, which Bradford won 3–0 against Northampton Town securing promotion to League One.[15] On 3 August, the opening day of the season, McArdle scored a late header from a Raffaele De Vita corner to give Bradford a point in a 2–2 draw against Bristol City.[16]
He was Bradford City's 2014–15 Player of the Year.[17]
McArdle signed a three-year deal with fellow League One club Scunthorpe United on 21 June 2017, with the deal coming into effect from 1 July 2017.[18]
On 19 May 2020, McArdle signed a contract with League Two club Exeter City.[19] He scored his first goal for the club in February 2021, a 'trademark near-post header' in a 1–0 win over Stevenage.[20]
On 30 June 2021, McArdle joined fellow League Two club Harrogate Town for an undisclosed fee.[21] McArdle signed a new one-year deal in May 2022.[22]
McArdle made his full debut for Northern Ireland on 26 May 2010 against Turkey in a friendly.[23]
Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Other | Total | ||||||
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Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Rochdale (loan) | 2005–06[24] | League Two | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
Sheffield Wednesday | 2006–07[25] | Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Rochdale (loan) | 2006–07[25] | League Two | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 | |
Rochdale | 2007–08[26] | League Two | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 3 |
2008–09[27] | 43 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 49 | 2 | ||
2009–10[28] | 20 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 0 | ||
Total | 109 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 120 | 5 | ||
Aberdeen | 2010–11[29] | Scottish Premier League | 28 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 4 |
2011–12[30] | 25 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 | ||
Total | 53 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 68 | 5 | ||
Bradford City | 2012–13[31] | League Two | 40 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 56 | 4 |
2013–14[32] | League One | 41 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 43 | 3 | |
2014–15[33] | 43 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 55 | 3 | ||
2015–16[34] | 35 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 44 | 3 | ||
2016–17[35] | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[lower-alpha 4] | 1 | 33 | 2 | ||
Total | 183 | 12 | 19 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 17 | 2 | 231 | 15 | ||
Scunthorpe United | 2017–18[36] | League One | 36 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 5] | 0 | 43 | 1 |
2018–19[37] | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||
2019–20[38] | League Two | 26 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 31 | 3 | |
Total | 100 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 117 | 4 | ||
Exeter City | 2020–21[39] | League Two | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 27 | 1 |
Harrogate Town | 2021–22[40] | League Two | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 26 | 1 |
Career total | 534 | 26 | 46 | 1 | 27 | 3 | 30 | 2 | 649 | 32 |
Harrogate Town A.F.C. – current squad | |
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