Michael Ball is a professional footballer who was born on October 2, 1979 in Liverpool, England. He was married to Amanda on the banks of Loch Lomond and they had two children from the marriage. In February 2001, Michael Ball won his first international cap for his national side in a friendly game against Spain, where he came in as a substitute for Chris Powell.
Michael Ball spent the early days of his football career with the Liverpool youth set-up, alongside Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard, while still at school. From 1994 to 1996 he attended the Football Association's (FA) National School at Lilleshall. In 1996, he began his professional football career with Everton and made his first appearance for the senior side at the age of seventeen in a playoff against Tottenham in April 1997, as a substitute. In the following week, he made his first start for the side in a game against West Ham United. During his stint at the club, Michael Ball evolved as a key player as he could adapt to both centre-back and left-back positions with equal ease. He has made a total of 121 appearances for the club and has scored eight goals for them.
In 2001, he moved to the Scottish Premier League after signing a contract with Rangers worth £6.5 million. After his eleventh Rangers’ appearance, he suffered medial ligament damage, which kept him out of action for 18 months. During the 2003-04 season, Michael Ball made an impressive comeback by making to the regular side of the club and also won the player of the month award in the first month.
Michael Ball had a spectacular 2004-05 season and was in the squad that won the Scottish League Championship and the League Cup. During the 2005 close season, Michael Ball signed a two-year contract with the Dutch side PSV Eindhoven. During his stint at this club, he was a part of the side that won the 2006 Dutch League.
On January 31, 2007, after an impressive trial, he signed a six-month contract with Manchester City. Ten days later, he made his debut for the club in the match against Portsmouth. On February 18, 2007, he scored his first goal for the club in a in an FA Cup 5th Round match against Preston North End. Michael Ball was often the third- choice captain for the club in the absence of Richard Dunne and Micah Richards that season. On July 12, 2007, he signed a new contract with Manchester City that keeps him in the club until 2009.
Michael Ball was given the captain’s armband after he came on as a substitute for the stand-in captain Micah Richards, in a game against West Ham held on August 24, 2008, and guided his team to a 3-0 victory. As of 2008, Michael Ball has made a total of forty one appearances for the club.
Michael Ball is known by his nickname “Ice-man” both on and off the field.
