N/A: Jimmy Bullard. Hull City, Topps Match Attax Extra Trading Card Game 2008/09

This week Mat Jolin-Beech takes a look at some of the highlights from one of the noughties’ biggest footballing characters. Despite his penchant for silliness it’s worth remember that today’s subject was a handy footballer with a liking for unexpected wonder goals from midfield. You’d definitely rather be stuck in a lift with him than his similar sounding contemporaries too. Over to Mat.

“Better than Steve Gerrard, thinner than Frank Lampard.” The one and only Jimmy Bullard. Amazingly, he never got an international cap. Neither for England, nor Germany. Apparently, he was making noises to Jurgen Klinnsman of his German grandmother ahead of the 2006 World Cup. Somehow, he never got the call up to Die Mannschaft, with the German boos preferring the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Torsten Frings, and Thomas Hitzlsperger.

He did get called up to the Three Lions squad in August 2008 for World Cup qualifiers but never actually made a debut. Again, this comes as a surprise given that this came shortly after and during the era when Chris Kirkland, Dean Ashton and Stephen Warnock all got senior caps. To add to the potted history of Jimmy Bullard, he came through the West Ham United academy, made a senior debut at Peterborough United, before making his name at Wigan Athletic, Fulham and Hull City, before spending his twilight years at Ipswich and MK Dons.

But what stands out from his career is his attitude towards the game. He was, and is, genuinely like a child. And I mean that is a good way. He had an infectious love for the game. A love and enjoyment that we all had as kids. It is the reason we all fell in love with the game in the first place. Why we played it as kids and still watch and enjoy it today. That chance to have a laugh with mates. But in front of tens of thousands of other fans, as well as the other millions watching.

The spark for this post came, as it often does, from a YouTube wormhole. Enter a clip of a brawl. The game was Wigan v Everton. Some scuffle kicked off in the Everton box. A bundle as players were fighting for a loose ball. The keeper was digging under the defenders like a scrum half in the Six Nations. Enter Wigan’s poster boy. Charging in at full speed. Instead of squaring up, he dived over the bundle and instantly lightened the situation and took the simmering pot off the heat. Jogging away, he chuckled with Titus Bramble.

This isn’t the only time he’s been the joker. There was the Sky Sports walkout video. Short pulled up, shirt tucked in. He looked like an 88-year-old Hull City fan. Or Steve Bruce’s uncle. The other, also came at this time at Hull. There was the infamous Phil Brown half time team talk on the pitch. Apparently, it was done to make a point, and not because he could not find the dressing room. One year later, Bullard scored and recreated the scene to many laughs including from his manager.

So, if you’re bored, or falling out of love with football, just YouTube Jimmy Bullard’s best moments and within ten minutes you’ll remember why you’re a fan of the beautiful game.