One to Watch #29: Kerrea Gilbert

Last updated : 13 January 2010 By Dan Buxton

                                                            gilbert

Name: Kerrea Gilbert

Date of Birth:  28th February 1987

Position: Right back, Left back

Club: Arsenal

Previous clubs: Cardiff(loan), Southend(loan), Leicester(loan)

Signed for Arsenal as a thirteen year old he progressed through the Arsenal academy and into the first team picture, injuries to a whole host of defenders giving him his initial chance in 2005 when, as an 18-year old, he made his first team debut for Arsenal in a Carling Cup game against Reading before making his Champions League debut a week later, coming on to play Ajax when first choice left back Lauren had to come off injured.

Gilbert first extended run of games came in January 2006 when he played six successive games including a Premier League debut versus Everton, his pace and positioning impressing factors in his positive displays, before an injury of his own ended his season just as he was nailing down an first team spot.

He spent the 2006/7 season out on loan to Championship Cardiff, playing 26 times before another bad injury kept him out for two months and allowed young Chris Gunter to take his place and he was kept out of the side for the remainder of the season.

2007/8 followed the same pattern as he was loaned out to Southend where he played six times before falling out with Southend boss Steve Tilson. When he returned to Arsenal midway through the season, and making the bench for the league clash with Blackburn in February, he picked up yet another injury and so missed the remainder of the season.

Another season out on loan followed in 2008/9 as Leicester were the team looking to develop his this time and he was a roaring success, playing 39 times, and netting his first professional goal, as the Foxes won promotion from League One as Champions. Leicester tried to sign the full back permanently last summer but the Gunners refused to part company with promising, yet injury prone, star giving him hope that he will still be a Gunners star in the future.

This season has been one where Gilbert has hovered around the squad as injuries upon injuries have meant he has been on the verge of many a call up to the first team but so far has just a couple of victorious Carling Cup matches versus West Brom and Liverpool and a Champions League tie versus Olympiakos to show for his efforts.