*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:07, 22 November 2024 (UTC)
Gary John Martin (born 10 October 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Bishop Auckland. Besides England, he has played in Hungary,[3] Iceland,[4] Belgium and Norway.[5]
Career
Martin was born in Darlington, County Durham.[6] He started his career with Middlesbrough, where he came through the club's youth system and was given a youth-team scholarship (YTS) in 2007.[7] He was a prolific goalscorer at both youth and reserve levels, scoring 19 goals in 39 matches for the academy team, and 17 goals in 26 appearances for the reserve team.[8] In June 2009, his YTS was extended by a year,[9] and in the build-up to the 2009–10 season he played with the first team in pre-season.[10] On 23 February 2010, Martin joined Nemzeti Bajnokság I club Újpest on loan until the end of the season.[11] He went on to make two league appearances during his spell with Újpest, coming on as a substitute in a 4–1 home win against Diósgyőr and a 1–0 defeat away to Lombard-Pápa.[2]
After being released by Middlesbrough in May 2010,[12] Martin signed for 1. deild karla club ÍA on 23 July 2010, initially on a short-term contract to the end of the season.[8] He made his debut five days later, coming on as a 54th-minute substitute for Stefán Örn Arnarson in the 1–1 draw with Fjölnir,[13] and scored his first goal for the club two weeks later in a 2–2 draw away to Þór Akureyri.[14] Martin joined Danish 1st Division club Hjørring on loan in August 2011,[15] making seven appearances[16] before the club decided to not extend his loan in November.[17]
After two successful seasons, Martin signed for Úrvalsdeild champions KR for a nominal fee.[citation needed] In the 2013 season, KR again won the Úrvalsdeild title,[2] with Martin being joint top scorer in the league with 13 goals.[18] He was named the best foreign player in the league and was selected in the Team of the Year.[citation needed] During the season, Martin also made his first appearance in the UEFA Europa League, scoring his first goal in that competition against Glentoran.[2] He was the Úrvalsdeild top scorer in the 2014 season with 13 goals.[19]
Martin signed for KR's Úrvalsdeild rivals Víkingur Reykjavík on 15 February 2016 on a three-year contract.[20] On 10 August 2016, he signed for Tippeligaen club Lillestrøm on loan for the remainder of the 2016 season, joining up with his former coach at KR, Rúnar Kristinsson.[21] He returned to Víkingur Reykjavík in January 2017.[22]
Martin signed for Belgian First Division A club Lokeren on 16 January 2017 on a two-and-a-half-year contract, where he again joined up with his former manager Rúnar Kristinsson.[23] Having not played at the beginning of the 2017–18 season, Martin was released on 18 October 2017.[24]
On 24 October 2017, Martin signed a three-year contract to return to Lillestrøm, effective from 1 January 2018.[25] He signed for National League North club York City on 2 November 2017 on a short-term contract,[26] playing for them in the interim period before his transfer to Lillestrøm.[27] He made his debut two days later in York's 2–1 home win over Curzon Ashton, in which he provided an assist for Jon Parkin to score the opening goal.[28] Martin scored his first goal in his fourth appearance, a 3–1 home victory over Coalville Town in the FA Trophy third qualifying round on 25 November 2017.[2][29] He scored the opening goal of the match, with a curling shot from the edge of the penalty area into the top-left corner.[29] Martin left the club two days later, because of what York described as a disciplinary issue.[30] It was reported in The Press that the club had discovered that he had been playing for Darlington Albion in the Darlington Sunday Morning Invitation League.[31]
Martin signed for Úrvalsdeild champions Valur on 7 January 2019 on a three-year contract.[32] However, after five months with Valur, he left the club to join fellow Úrvalsdeild club ÍBV.[33] He finished as top scorer in the 2019 Úrvalsdeild, with 14 goals for Valur and ÍBV combined.[34] Martin signed for his home-town club, Darlington of the National League North, on 11 January 2020 on loan until late March.[35][36] On 1 May, he signed with 1. deild karla club Selfoss.[37] In April 2024, he joined Víkingur on loan.[38]
^Magnús Már Einarsson (30 May 2012). "Hin Hliðin – Gary Martin (KR)" [The other side – Gary Martin (KR)]. Fótbolti.net (in Icelandic). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
^"Her er vinterens overganger i Eliteserien" [Here are the winter's transitions in the Eliteserien]. Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Oslo. 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
^"Gary Martin klar for tre år i LSK" [Gary Martin ready for three years in LSK]. Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Oslo. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
^"Gary Martin og tveir Danir til Vals" [Gary Martin and two Danes to Vals]. Morgunblaðið (in Icelandic). Reykjavík. 7 January 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
