Former Lincoln City defender Riccardo Calder has been released by National League side Brackley following their relegation from the fifth tier.
Calder joined the Imps on loan at the tail end of the 2016/17 season and has had a noteworthy career since. He’s now one of ten players released by Andy Whing, who will be seeking to earn an immediate promotion from the National League North next season. He made 28 appearances for The Saints, who finished 21st in the National League, four points adrift of Aldershot Town.
Calder originally came through the ranks at Aston Villa, joining the club as a youngster and being part of the side that won the 2012–13 NextGen Series, a prestigious youth competition. Despite that early promise, he never made a senior appearance for Villa, instead gaining experience through a series of loans.
Doncaster Rovers want to re-sign Aston Villa midfielder Riccardo Calder on loan. #drfc pic.twitter.com/zUKJW7TyPF
— The EFL Zone (@TheFLZone) July 6, 2016
A spell with Dundee in the Scottish Premiership saw him make his professional debut, followed by two separate loans at Doncaster Rovers, where he featured regularly and even found the net in the EFL Trophy. It was after returning from those moves that he linked up with Lincoln, albeit briefly.
Arriving on a short-term loan in March 2017, he featured just once in the league and made a couple of additional appearances in cup competition, including the FA Trophy semi-final second leg against York City. Those outings, alongside a game against Maidstone United, offered little in the way of lasting impression, with Calder looking more like a player short of match sharpness than one ready to make an impact.
His departure from the Imps did not signal a rise through the English leagues, but rather a move north of the border, signing for Inverness Caledonian Thistle in 2017. That step into full-time football in Scotland suggested there was still belief in his potential, although his time there ended prematurely following off-field issues.
In November 2018, he was found guilty of assault at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court following an incident involving a 24-year-old woman, which escalated from a minor car accident into a repeated attack. His contract with Inverness Caledonian Thistle was terminated immediately, coming less than a week after he had scored his first professional league goal. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and was released after serving ten weeks.
Stints at Bradford (Park Avenue), AFC Telford United, Nuneaton Borough, Rushall Olympic, Kettering Town and finally Brackley Town followed, reflecting a player valued across the lower reaches of the game. Away from football, Calder has also pursued music under the name Cardz, releasing tracks including a video titled “Gettin’ It” on Link Up TV, as well as an album called Overtime on streaming platforms, and he previously stated he had turned down recording opportunities to focus on his football career.