Jarvis joins to boost Gulls frontline

Yesterday, Martin Ling completed a 3-month loan deal for Walsall striker Ryan Jarvis. The deal sees Jarvis playing in a yellow shirt until May 31st, so he will be available for the playoffs, should we finish in the top 7 for the second year running. Ling and Jarvis have previously worked together at, Leyton Orient, but have gone their separate ways since. Here, I’m going to talk about our new man and introduce him to other Gulls fans.

Ryan in his Orient days

FACT FILE.

• Name: Ryan Jarvis
• DOB: 11th July 1986
• Height: 6 ft 0 in
• Previous Clubs: Norwich, Colchester (L), Leyton Orient (L), Kilmarnock (L), Notts County (L), Leyton Orient, Northampton (L), Walsall

* (L) indicates loan

Jarvis has played for 7 different clubs so far in his career, including Norwich, where he came through the youth ranks and progressed to the first team. He made his professional debut way back in April 2003, against his current parent club, Walsall. He played twice more before the end of the 2002/03 season. His first league goal for Norwich came the following season, as the Canaries lost 2-1 at home to Watford. That was his only goal in that season, having made 14 appearances. Another year went on, and Norwich were now in the top flight. He scored one goal in this season, an absolute belter in a home defeat to Liverpool. That goal is what he is remembered for in East Anglia (I tried to find a video of said goal but there was no decent ones on youtube). Anyway, he made his final Premiership appearance at Villa Park in January 2005, as Norwich lost 3-0. He fell out of favour soon after, and was loaned out to League One Colchester. He played 6 games for the U’s, including the final game of that season, which saw us relegated at Layer Road.

Back at Norwich the following year, the club back in the Championship. Injuries meant he made just five appearances, scoring once, in a 4-2 defeat at Luton. However he signed a new deal at Carrow Road for another two years. Into the 2006/07 season, his first game of that season came at Plainmoor, as Norwich ran out 2-0 winners in a Carling Cup fixture. In the following round of the competition, he scored twice as Norwich progressed past Rotherham, winning 4-2. In 2007, he was loaned out to Leyton Orient, where he hit his first career hattrick, in just his second game for the London club, as they romped to victory at Millwall. The following match he added two more goals, as they beat Tranmere 3-1. His last goal of that season came at Yeovil, where the O’s lost 2-1. He stayed with Orient for the remainder of the season but scored no more.

Another new club was the destination for Ryan at the start of the 07/08 campaign, with Kilmarnock his new team. He scored once for Killie, in his 3rd game, in a victory at Gretna. He finished his loan in Scotland in January, and then straight afterwards he joined Notts County for the rest of the season, hitting two goals.

By now Norwich had decided not to renew Jarvis’ contract, and he was left unattached, before Leyton Orient came in for him. However, he didn’t get the start he wanted at Brisbane Road, as he failed to score a league goal for the club in over 30 appearances. Infact, he scored two goals in the season, both coming in Johnstones Paint Trophy games, at Southend and Brighton. His first league goal for the O’s came 12 months after joining, in a defeat to Oldham. This season proved to be his most prolific, as he hit the net 8 times in 48 games. The following season he scored 4 goals in 18 appearances, including one of the goals in a 2-1 win over Swindon in the Carling Cup. He also spent time at Northampton, failing to hit the net in the 3 appearances he made for the Cobblers. Anyway, this proved to be the end of his spell in London, as he left the club. He joined another League One side, in Walsall. His only league goals for the Saddlers came as he scored both goals in a 2-0 win at Bournemouth. The following match, he hit the net again, as they beat Shrewsbury in the JPT. He failed to score since, and also received his first ever red card, in a draw at Dagenham & Redbridge, in the FA Cup.

Ryan celebrating a goal at Bournemouth earlier this year

Overall then, Jarvis has scored 31 goals in all competitions, in 124 starts and 89 substitute appearances. Not quite the record we hoped for, but hopefully he can come down here and turn his career around like quite a few players have done in the past. One thing we shouldn’t need to worry about though is his disciplinary record, as throughout his whole career, Ryan has collected a measly 3 yellow cards and one red card.

So there it is. I just want to say welcome to Ryan, and good luck!