{{short description|English rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2014}} {{Use British English|date=February 2014}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Martyn Ridyard |fullname = |image = Martyn Ridyard.jpg |image_size = 300px |caption = |position = {{rlp|SO|SH}} |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|7|25|df=y}} |birth_place = Salford, Greater Manchester, England |height = {{convert|5|ft|10|in|m|abbr=on}} |weight = {{convert|13|st|12|lb|kg|abbr=on}} |club1 = Leigh Centurions |year1start = 2009 |year1end = 17 |appearances1 = 222 |tries1 = 77 |goals1 = 740 |fieldgoals1 = 9 |points1 = 1797 |club2 = {{nowrap|→ Huddersfield Giants}} |year2start = 2017{{small|(loan)}} |year2end = |appearances2 = 7 |tries2 = 1 |goals2 = 26 |fieldgoals2 = 0 |points2 = 56 |club3 = Featherstone Rovers |year3start = 2018 |year3end = |appearances3 = 20 |tries3 = 8 |goals3 = 59 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 150 |club4 = Leigh Centurions |year4start = 2019 |year4end = 20 |appearances4 = 28 |tries4 = 3 |goals4 = 98 |fieldgoals4 = 3 |points4 = 211 |club5 = {{nowrap|→ Rochdale Hornets}} |year5start = 2020{{small|(loan)}} |year5end = |appearances5 = 1 |tries5 = 0 |goals5 = 0 |fieldgoals5 = 1 |points5 = 1 |club6 = Swinton Lions |year6start = 2021 |year6end = |appearances6 = 23 |tries6 = 3 |goals6 = 59 |fieldgoals6 = 1 |points6 = 131 | club7 = {{nowrap|Oldham RLFC}} | year7start = 2022 | year7end = 23 | appearances7 = 39 | tries7 = 3 | goals7 = 165 | fieldgoals7 = 2 | points7 = 344 | club8 = {{nowrap|Rochdale Hornets}} | year8start = 2024 | year8end = 25 | appearances8 = 21 | tries8 = 1 | goals8 = 91 | fieldgoals8 = 2 | points8 = 188 | source = <ref>[https://www.loverugbyleague.com/stats/players/Martyn-Ridyard/ loverugbyleague]</ref><ref>[http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/martyn-ridyard/summary.html Rugby League Project]</ref> | updated = {{date|{{REVISIONTIMESTAMP}}|DMY}} }}
'''Martyn Ridyard''' (born 25 July 1986) is an English professional rugby league footballer who last played as a goal-kicking {{rlp|so}} or {{rlp|sh}} for Rochdale Hornets in the RFL League 1.
He played for the Leigh Centurions in two separate spells in the Championship and the Super League, and on loan from Leigh at the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League and the Rochdale Hornets in the Championship. Ridyard has also played for Featherstone Rovers in the second tier.
==Background== Ridyard was born in Salford, Greater Manchester, England.{{cn|date=January 2022}}
==Career== ===Early career=== Ridyard came through the junior ranks at Leigh Miners, joining Leigh academy squad upon leaving school before returning to Leigh Miners. There he helped Miners win the 2004-2005 National Conference Championship and the 2005-2006 BARLA National Cup Final, continuing to play at that level before accepting an offer from Warrington to play in their Senior Academy during 2007.
Ridyard returned once more to Leigh Miners Rangers and helped them win the 2008 League Leaders Trophy, scoring 231 points along the way, only for Miners to lose in the 2008 National Conference League Grand Final, though his season ended on a personal high by winning the highly coveted Player of the Season award.
===Leigh Centurions=== After a couple of false starts, Ridyard's professional career finally took off in 2009 when he re-joined hometown club Leigh Centurions, and quickly established himself as a first team regular.
A highly decorated player at amateur level, Ridyard has been capped by the BARLA Young Lions and GB Community Lions and has also represented Lancashire, before winning the first honour of his professional career when Leigh won the 2011 Northern Rail Cup Final. His second honour was being MOM in the 2013 Northern Rail Cup final win 2014 Leigh Centurions won the Kingston Press championship at Headingley, Martyn winning the Tom Bergin Trophy as MOM and also was voted Kingstone press player of the year.{{cn|date=March 2023}}
===Featherstone Rovers=== In October 2017 he signed a two-year deal to play for Featherstone.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/featherstone/featherstone-rovers-wrap-up-surprise-move-for-leigh-pivot-ridyard-1-8825259|title=Featherstone Rovers wrap up surprise move for Leigh pivot Ridyard|publisher=Yorkshire Evening Post|date=26 October 2017|accessdate=14 December 2017}}</ref>
===Leigh Centurions (return)=== He returned to his home town club Leigh Centurions in 2018 for the 2019 season, although he spent most of 2020 out on loan at the Rochdale Hornets.{{cn|date=March 2023}}
===Swinton Lions=== On 7 September 2020 it was announced that Ridyard would join the Swinton Lions for the 2021 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/leigh-pay-tribute-to-martyn-ridyard-as-he-joins-swinton/|title=Leigh pay tribute to Martyn Ridyard as he joins Swinton|website=www.loverugbyleague.com|date=7 Sep 2020|accessdate=21 Dec 2020}}</ref> ===Oldham R.L.F.C.=== On 22 Oct 2021 it was reported that he had signed for Oldham R.L.F.C. in the RFL League 1.<ref>{{cite web|website=Love Rugby League|date=22 Oct 2021|accessdate=26 Dec 2021|title=Martyn Ridyard hails part-time rugby after making Oldham move|url=https://www.loverugbyleague.com/post/martyn-ridyard-oldham-move/}}</ref>
===Rochdale Hornets=== On 17 Nov 2023 it was reported that he had signed for Rochdale Hornets in the RFL League 1.<ref>{{cite web|website=TotalRL|date=17 Nov 2023|title=Rochdale Hornets swoop for ex-Super League and Championship veteran in coup|url=https://www.totalrl.com/rochdale-hornets-swoop-for-ex-super-league-and-championship-veteran-in-coup/}}</ref> He retired at the end of the 2025 season.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *[https://www.featherstonerovers.co.uk/squad/35 Featherstone Rovers profile] *[https://leighrl.co.uk/wp/team_member/ridyard-martyn/ Leigh Centurions profile] *[http://www.rugby-league.com/superleague/player-info/4934 SL profile]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridyard, Martyn}} Category:1986 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century English sportsmen Category:English rugby league players Category:Featherstone Rovers players Category:Huddersfield Giants players Category:Leigh Leopards players Category:Oldham R.L.F.C. captains Category:Oldham R.L.F.C. players Category:Rochdale Hornets players Category:Rugby league five-eighths Category:Rugby league halfbacks Category:Rugby league players from Salford Category:Swinton Lions players