Hámilton Ricard

Colombian footballer (born 1974)

Hámilton Ricard Cuesta (ˈxamilton ˈrikaɾð ˈkwesta; born 12 January 1974) is a Colombian former footballer who played as a striker. He played for clubs in 10 different countries over the course of his career, including Colombian sides Deportivo Cali, Cortuluá, Independiente Santa Fe and Deportes Quindío, English club Middlesbrough, CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, Emelec in Ecuador, Japanese side Shonan Bellmare, APOEL in Cyprus, Spanish side Numancia, Uruguayan club Danubio and Concepción in Chile.

Ricard was signed for Middlesbrough by manager Bryan Robson for a fee of £2 million in 1998. He signed his signature on a napkin because Middlesbrough had no documents. Over a four year Middlesbrough career, he scored 33 goals in 115 appearances. He was twice Middlesbrough's top scorer. When Steve McClaren took over the reins, Ricard was deemed surplus to requirements and allowed to move to CSKA Sofia on a free transfer. After one season in Bulgaria, Ricard moved to Japan, where he joined Second Division side Shonan Bellmare. Since leaving Middlesbrough, Ricard courted controversy both on and off the pitch. In 2002, he was involved in a car accident that killed a passenger, and was banned from football for 12 months for attacking a referee and making obscene gestures to the crowd while playing for Guayaquil side Emelec. The ban was reduced on appeal, and since then, Ricard attempted to move back to Europe to rejuvenate his career. He briefly played in Cyprus for APOEL, before signing a year's deal with Numancia for the 2005–06 season. He played 16 times, scoring two goals. After he moved to Danubio in Uruguay where he scored 12 goals and was voted as one of their best players of the decade. In June 2007 he trialled with Chinese Super League team Shanghai Shenhua, subsequently signing a contract with the Chinese club. Ricard has represented Colombia 27 times, scoring five goals.

Ricard has a daughter.