Club Connection | Rudy Gestede
A depleted squad of players, processing the recent departure of Dave Jones as manager following Play-Off heartache the previous season, initially seemed unsure of who the tall, muscular new man was on the pre-season tour to Seville in 2011.
Similarly, club media staff also had to firm up on the details surrounding trialist Rudy Gestede’s status as a Bluebird! The fact was that the French-born forward was with City on trial following his departure from French side, Metz. He would join a senior striking corps that included Jon Parkin, the returning Robert Earnshaw and a talented young prospect from Plymouth Argyle, Joe Mason.
City only played one game on that summer training camp in Andalusia: against fellow British tourists, Charlton Athletic. The Bluebirds won the game 1-0 and Rudy scored the only goal. A week later, he passed a medical (and indeed his trial) and signed permanent terms in the Welsh capital.
Rudy was an unconventional striker, particularly during this era of football. He was rangy, leggy and at times looked a little un-co-ordinated, but he became a valued part of City’s success during the first two of his three seasons in Wales. His work ethic to improve his game was as good as any and he trained with Olympic sprinter, Darren Campbell, to improve his power play and stride.
Gestede made his debut as a substitute in a fondly remembered opening day 1-0 win at West Ham United in August 2011, setting up the late winner for fellow summer recruit, Kenny Miller. League goals followed against Ipswich Town and Peterborough United, as did a late equaliser in a 2-2 League Cup tie against Leicester City that the Bluebirds eventually won on penalties.
Famously, City went on to face Liverpool in the Wembley Final of that competition the following February, with Gestede starting the game, playing 120 minutes and hitting the post in the shoot-out defeat.
The following year, City were promoted as Champions to the Premier League for the first time in 51 years and the now-Benin international could claim a contribution of five goals in 27 appearances including a winner at home to Millwall. After three Premier League and two League Cup appearance for City the following season, Rudy dropped back down to the Championship on loan with Blackburn Rovers.
Despite not scoring in his first five Rovers games, Rudy made his loan deal permanent on January 1st, 2014, and scored in his new side’s New Year’s Day defeat of Leeds United.
Gestede scored 13 times in Rovers’ final 23 League and Cup fixtures, firmly cementing himself as one of the division’s spotlit players ahead of the next campaign. After 22 goals in 44 appearances during 2014/15, a big money move to Aston Villa came, prior to another seven-figure transfer to Middlesbrough in January 2017.
After six years in British football and 62 competitive goals to his name, Rudy took the option of moving to Australia in 2020 where he joined Melbourne Victory. The following year, he moved on to Panetolikos in Greece and then Esteghlal in Iran, calling time on his playing days in 2022.
In June 2024 and now aged 36, Rudy returned to Ewood Park in an executive capacity as Rovers’ Head of Football Operations.