Cod Almighty | Article

by Chris Mills

5 January 2010

It's the turn of the millennium and a fresh-faced 19-year-old striker called Adam Proudlock emerges on the scene in a big way. Bagging himself a hat-trick on his loan debut for Clyde and after being recalled to parent club Wolves a month later, he scores on his full debut in the old first division. Going on to become Wolves' top scorer for that season with eleven goals, a bright future is surely destined for the youngster?

Cut to August 2009 and after countless clubs, hairstyles and pounds added, a 28-year-old Adam Proudlock is sent off for lowly Grimsby Town as a misplaced elbow somehow finds itself in the face of an opposition defender. Nearly a decade on, the destined bright future is yet to materialise. But why?

Although successfully coming through the ranks at Wolves it was at a time when the midlands club was on the verge of the Premier League and therefore in need of proven quality at that level (Steffen Iversen apparently?). A move to Sheffield Wednesday followed but after spending nearly a year out with a broken leg, he found himself plagued by further injuries and personal problems off the pitch throughout his time at the Owls. It was in fact most likely because of the latter that Proudlock was eventually released in 2005 after what the club described as a "breach of contract", but the actual reason has never been reported.

And so from under the dark clouds of Hillsborough began a stop-start career with spells at Forest, Ipswich, Tranmere, Stockport and Darlington. But the goals and form of his teen years haven't followed.

Now relocated at Grimsby, and with a family to support, Proudlock tells us he has a new-found responsibility and determination to get his career back on track and put an end to the underachievement. However, bar a hat-trick of substantial quality against Lincoln last season we haven't yet seen enough to suggest that 'Prouds' is the man to fire us up the division(s), and now with even more competition for places could time be running out for the passionate frontman again?

What both Grimsby and their number 9 would do to have that fresh-faced 19-year-old back...