John Thomas Gordon Ruddy (born 24 October 1986) is an English professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Newcastle United.

Ruddy was signed by Paul Lambert to play for Norwich City in 2010 and, in his first season, was part of the team that finished second in the Championship, gaining promotion to the Premier League.

The following year, Norwich finished twelfth in the Premier League, and Ruddy was selected by new England manager Roy Hodgson for the squad for Euro 2012.

He suffered a long-term thigh injury in November 2012, but returned to help Norwich to an 11th-place finish at the end of the 2012–13 Premier League season.

[9] He made his professional debut in the final match of the 2003–04 season at Leyton Orient's Brisbane Road stadium on 8 May 2004, keeping a clean sheet and saving a penalty.

[21] Ruddy spent a week's emergency loan at League One club Bristol City in April,[22] and helped them move closer to promotion, by playing one match – a 3–1 win over Carlisle United.

[23] On 24 July 2009, Ruddy joined Scottish Premier League club Motherwell on a six-month loan, to vie with Michael Fraser and Sebastian Kosiorowski for a place in goal.

[5][29] In 2012, Paul Lambert revealed that on two earlier occasions he had considered signing Ruddy for clubs he'd previously managed: "It is funny but ... [we] ... went to watch him for Crewe at MK Dons ... but he had an absolute stinker.

[31] He kept his first clean sheet of the season in a 1–0 away win against Scunthorpe United on 14 August, followed by another against Swansea City a week later which included a penalty save that atoned for his error that led to it.

[35] He followed this up during Norwich's first home Premier League match in seven years, a 1–1 draw against Stoke City, with a penalty stop against Jon Walters and a save denying Matthew Etherington from a direct free kick.

[37] However, Ruddy's fortunes were reversed during the return fixture against Chelsea in January 2012 when he kept his first clean sheet of the season during a 0–0 draw at Carrow Road, making several impressive stops from Fernando Torres and others.

[citation needed] Once again, he saved a penalty during Norwich's first home Premier League fixture of the season, a 1–1 draw with Queens Park Rangers, although Bobby Zamora scored from the rebound.

[56] In August 2018 he extended his contract with Wolves, signing a deal due to last until summer 2020, despite having fallen behind new addition Rui Patrício as the club's first-choice goalkeeper.

[58] Playing against Liverpool in March 2021, Patrício collided with his own captain, Conor Coady, and was stretchered off after receiving 15 minutes' treatment on the pitch.

He was expected to provide competition for Neil Etheridge,[62] but went straight into the starting line-up, was ever-present up to the mid-season break, and kept seven clean sheets during that time.

[70] He made his debut for the club in a preseason friendly against Spanish side Girona at St. James' Park on 9 August, being subbed on in the second-half for Nick Pope.

[74] Ruddy was not included in Hodgson's 2014 World Cup squad, with Joe Hart, Fraser Forster and Ben Foster selected instead.