Ricky Little (born 20 May 1989) is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender for Beith Juniors in the West of Scotland Football League.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ricky Little | ||
| Date of birth | 20 May 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Stevenston, Scotland | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back, right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Beith Juniors | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Ayr United | |||
| Ardrossan Winton Rovers | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| –2007 | Ardrossan Winton Rovers | ||
| 2007–2010 | Partick Thistle | 4 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Queen's Park (loan) | 11 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Queen's Park (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2010–2013 | Queen's Park | 116 | (1) |
| 2013–2024 | Arbroath | 306 | (11) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:25, 13 February 2024 (UTC) | |||
Career
editLittle began his youth career on the books of the Ayr United youth squad and Ardrossan Winton Rovers,[1] and he captained Scotland schoolboys under-18s in season 2006–07.
When he moved into the senior game, he featured on the subs bench[2] for the Partick Thistle first team several times to cover for injury under Ian McCall.
Little was sent on a month's loan to Queen's Park on 17 September 2008, as he was too old to play for the Firhill side's under 19 side.[3]
Little joined up with Queen's Park again on loan for two months in November 2009.[4] Following his release from the Jags in Jan 2010, he rejoined Queen's Park permanently until the end of the season.[5] He signed a new contract with Queen's Park at the beginning of season 2010–11 and was nominated for PFA Scotland Scottish Third Division Player of the Year at the end of a season that also saw him named club captain.[6]
After spending three years at Queen's Park, in June 2013, Arbroath manager Paul Sheerin signed Little to replace Stuart Malcolm who signed for Forfar Athletic.[7] Shortly after joining the club, he suffered an injury in a Scottish Challenge Cup match against Stenhousemuir,[8] which kept him out for six months.[9]
On 2 May 2015, Little scored from his own half as Arbroath beat Berwick Rangers 5–0.[10] He would go on to become a mainstay of the Arbroath defence, which saw him once again named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year for Scottish League One in 2015–16.[11] He was also part of the squads that won the 2016–17 Scottish League Two and 2018–19 Scottish League One titles.[12]
Following his release from Arbroath in the summer of 2024, Little returned to junior football, signing for Beith Juniors in the West of Scotland Football League.[13]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 18 January 2020
| Club | Season | League | Scottish Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Partick Thistle | 2007–08[14] | Scottish First Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2008–09[15] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10[16] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Queen's Park (loan) | 2008–09[15] | Scottish Second Division | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Queen's Park (loan) | 2009–10[16] | Scottish Third Division | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Queen's Park | 2009–10[16] | Scottish Third Division | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| 2010–11[17][18][19] | 35 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2011–12[20][18] | 33 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[c] | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 2012–13[21][18] | 31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | 39 | 1 | ||
| Total | 116 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 140 | 2 | ||
| Arbroath | 2013–14[22] | Scottish League One | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2014–15[23][18][24] | Scottish League Two | 25 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3[d] | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| 2015–16[25] | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 38 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17[26] | 34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | 40 | 3 | ||
| 2017–18[27] | Scottish League One | 35 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 2018–19[28] | 36 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 43 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20[29] | Scottish Championship | 20 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| Total | 193 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 237 | 9 | ||
| Career total | 331 | 9 | 25 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 25 | 2 | 400 | 11 | ||
- ^ Appearances in the Second Division play-offs
- ^ Two appearances in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Second Division play-offs
- ^ a b c d e f g One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the Second Division play-offs
- ^ One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the League One play-offs
- ^ One appearance in the Scottish Challenge Cup and two appearances in the League One play-offs
Honours
editClub
edit- Arbroath
Individual
editReferences
edit- ^ "LITTLE MEANS A LOT AT QUEEN'S PARK". Scottish Professional Football League. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Partick Thistle 2–1 Ayr United". ptfc.co.uk. 24 November 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2008.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Little loaned out to Queen's Park". BBC Sport. 17 September 2008. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
- ^ "PLAYER LEAVES ON LOAN". Partick Thistle F.C. 5 November 2009. Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Wilson, Fraser (22 January 2010). "Queen's Park Finalise Ricky Little Signing". The Glaswegian. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Scotland's player of the year awards nominees announced". BBC Sport. 14 April 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Spiders lose skipper Little". Evening Times. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "LITTLE BLOW IS A BIG ONE FOR ARBROATH". Scottish Professional Football League. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "BIG GAMES KEEP COMING FOR LITTLE". Scottish Professional Football League. 7 March 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Bounce blunder caps keeper's bad day". BBC Sport. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ a b "PFA SCOTLAND TEAMS OF THE YEAR". Scottish Professional Football League. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ a b "ARBROATH'S TITLE IN NUMBERS". Scottish Professional Football League. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Beith Juniors sign Ricky Little after Arbroath departure". Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald. 1 July 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2007/2008". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ a b "Games played by Ricky Little in 2008/2009". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ a b c "Games played by Ricky Little in 2009/2010". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2010/2011". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ a b c d Ricky Little at Soccerway. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Bo'Ness 2 Queens Pk 1". Sky Sports. 23 October 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2011/2012". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2012/2013". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2013/2014". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Hamilton Academical 2–1 Arbroath". BBC Sport. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "Games played by Ricky Little in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "LEAGUE 1 AWARD FOR LITTLE". Scottish Professional Football League. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Ross, Jack (2 May 2012). "PFA SCOTLAND DIVISION THREE TEAM OF THE YEAR". PFA Scotland. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ Ross, Jack (2 May 2013). "PFA SCOTLAND TEAMS OF THE YEAR". PFA Scotland. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "PFA SCOTLAND TEAMS OF THE YEAR". Scottish Professional Football League. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ @PFAScotland (5 May 2019). "And the League 1 Team of the Year 2019 is...congratulations to all the players #PFAS #ToY" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 August 2019 – via Twitter.
External links
edit- Ricky Little at Soccerbase
