His stay at Cathkin Park would be six years, in the reserves for two, becoming captain, as he would at every club he appeared for. And in 1897 he would be awarded a first cap against Wales, a 2-2 draw at Wrexham both with neither of the goals seemingly due to him. In fact it was to be his only international start but then he had some competition, notably Dan Doyle and John Drummond. Thus it was hardly surprising that at twenty-six when Newcastle United, reinforcing after promotion to the English First Division, came in for him he was on his way. 

In the three seasons Gardner was at St. James's Park Newcastle was to finish fifth, sixth and third but by 1902 he was approaching thirty and Jack Carr was playing more than two games to his every one. It prompted a sideways move as Dave joined Grimsby, for two seasons, the first of which resulted in relegation, and then dropped down to the Southern League and West Ham for three more without any noticeable on-field effect beyond mid-table safety.

Off-field, however, it was a different matter. As he left the Boleyn he married in West Ham. His bride was Jessie Atkinson, a Grimsby-girl, with whom he would have two children, possibly three. She had a son, who had been born in 1902. And they would settle in South London, as he had made another sideways-ish move with some success to Croydon Common as it became a professional club and itself joined the Southern League's Second Division. The team won promotion to the First Division in 1909 only to be immediately relegated. 

It is said that Gardner continued to play at Croydon until 1912 but he was also training and at thirty-eight his on-field time must have been limited. In any case his time at the club came to an end with the start of The Great War, after which an opportunity opened up that he could not have in any way foreseen, required him to relocate but allowed him as a coach to move up several levels.