Career
He spent four years in the Football League, playing for Nottingham Forest and Portuguese Vale. He later moved into non-league football with Ilkeston Town, Eastwood Town, and Shildon. He was also named in the England squad for the 2002 Union of European Football Associations European Under-17 Football Championship.
Gardner started his career with Newcastle United as a youth team player.
He made the switch to Nottingham Forest with Newcastle youth team-mate James Beaumont after a bust-up with academy coach Peter Beardsley. The pair accused Beardsley of bullying, however an FA inquiry later cleared him of any wrongdoing.
He played one further game in the First Division under new manager Joe Kinnear, before he made his mark on the first team during the late stages of the 2004-2005 season, as an 18-year-old, playing 14 Championship games during Forest"s relegation season. He featured 15 times in 2005-2006 under new boss Gary Megson, starting six League One games.
He did not feature in new manager Colin Calderwood"s first team plans in the 2006-2007 campaign, and in November 2006, he joined Portuguese Vale on loan, before the deal that was made permanent two months later.
Gardner was released by Vale in May 2007. Gardner joined Ilkeston Town of the Northern Premier League Premier Division in the summer of 2007. Despite being offered a new one-year deal, he decided to join Eastwood Town in June 2008.
However after the 2009-2010 season he was released in May 2010.
In 2010, he signed a contract to Northern League Division One side Shildon. He played just five games for the club
He returned to Eastwood Town in December 2011. The "Badgers" finished bottom of the Conference North in 2011-2012, winning just four games all season.
He injured his hernia in February 2012.
With Eastwood Town.
