Born: Newham, London, 23 October 1978
Position: Central midfielder
Signed: 8 May 2006 from Wigan Athletic (£2.5m)
Fulham debut: Manchester United 5-1 Fulham, 20 August 2006
Fulham appearances: 41
Fulham goals: 7
Sold: 23 January 2009 to Hull City (£5m)
Jimmy Bullard joined Fulham for £2.25m in May 2006 after an outstanding first Premier League season with Wigan Athletic. He had sparkled in his early appearances for the Whites, converting a late penalty to earn a draw against Bolton and curling home the winning free-kick against Sheffield United, before dislocating his kneecap in a challenge with Scott Parker at Newcastle. Bullard was sidelined until January 2008, when his return helped the Whites pull off their Great Escape from relegation. He curled in fine free-kicks against Aston Villa and Blackburn to earn precious points and sent in the free-kick from which Danny Murphy headed the winner that secured Fulham’s salvation at Portsmouth on the final day.
Bullard was a key part of Roy Hodgson’s midfield the following season, earning a call-up to Fabio Capello’s England squad, but paid the penalty for ignoring his club manager’s strict instructions and was beginning to be benched for Dickson Etuhu before he moved to Hull City for £5m in January 2009. The sale was controversial at the time, but Etuhu became a crucial part of the Fulham side that finished seventh in the Premier League and reached the Europa League final the following year, whilst Bullard struggled with a series of injuries. The shaggy-haired midfielder played for Ipswich and the Milton Keynes franchise before calling time on his playing career in October 2012.
